Detection of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Wild-Born Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes verus ): Phylogenetic Relationships with Human and Other Primate Genotypes

Abstract

(14) indicates the extent of the global health problem posed by this virus. HBV is transmitted by sexual contact and by parenteral exposure, although it is thought that mother-to-child perinatal transmission and the establishment of a lifelong highly infectious carrier state are responsible for the observed high rates of endemicity in high-prevalence regions such as South and East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and among indigenous peoples in Central and South America.

A Chimpanzee Genome Project Is a Biomedical Imperative: Figure B1.

“…Interestingly, as in the case of HIV, there is evidence suggesting that hepatitis B may actually have originated from chimpanzees (MacDonald et al 2000).…”

Nomenclature for antiviral-resistant human hepatitis B virus mutations in the polymerase region

“…26 Until recently, these cases represented infected animals kept in zoos or research primate centers, but evidence is now available of HBV infections in wild-born animals. 27 Although cross-species transmission of hepadnaviruses among hominoids is possible, 26 these ape viruses have never been detected in humans, so they have not been assigned with a genotype number (Table 1).…”

Detection of Virus-Like Particles in the Liver of Black and White Ruffed Lemurs With Hepatitis

“…Presence of particles resembling HBV and HBV surface antigen in lemur livers in the absence of serologic markers or a positive PCR product is reasonable based on phylogenetic analysis of hepadnavirus genome sequences results (Lanford et al, 1998;Grethe et al, 2000;MacDonald et al, 2000) . Although the phylogenetic tree of the various primate HBV variants described in chimpanzees, gibbons, orangutans, and the woolly monkey does not reflect the phylogeny of the host species, the sequence of the woolly monkey virus is quite distinct from HBV found in humans and apes (Lanford et al, 1998).…”