Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Nov 12;5(4):170-182.
doi: 10.5501/wjv.v5.i4.170.

Geographic integration of hepatitis C virus: A global threat

Mohamed A Daw  1 , Abdallah A El-Bouzedi  1 , Mohamed O Ahmed  1 , Aghnyia A Dau  1 , Mohamed M Agnan  1 , Aisha M Drah  1
Affiliations

Geographic integration of hepatitis C virus: A global threat

Mohamed A Daw et al. World J Virol. .

Abstract

Aim: To assess hepatitis C virus (HCV) geographic integration, evaluate the spatial and temporal evolution of HCV worldwide and propose how to diminish its burden.

Methods: A literature search of published articles was performed using PubMed, MEDLINE and other related databases up to December 2015. A critical data assessment and analysis regarding the epidemiological integration of HCV was carried out using the meta-analysis method.

Results: The data indicated that HCV has been integrated immensely over time and through various geographical regions worldwide. The history of HCV goes back to 1535 but between 1935 and 1965 it exhibited a rapid, exponential spread. This integration is clearly seen in the geo-epidemiology and phylogeography of HCV. HCV integration can be mirrored either as intra-continental or trans-continental. Migration, drug trafficking and HCV co-infection, together with other potential risk factors, have acted as a vehicle for this integration. Evidence shows that the geographic integration of HCV has been important in the global and regional distribution of HCV.

Conclusion: HCV geographic integration is clearly evident and this should be reflected in the prevention and treatment of this ongoing pandemic.

Keywords: Geo-epidemiology; Geography; Hepatitis C virus genotypes; Integration; Phylogeography.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overall prevalence of hepatitis C virus infections and the distribution of different hepatitis C virus genotypes worldwide. HCV: Hepatitis C virus.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Geographical distributions of endemic pattern diversity of phylogenetic clades of hepatitis C virus (1-7).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Plausible route of the integration of hepatitis C virus worldwide: The arrows indicate the probable route of spread (regional or transcontinental).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The integration complexity of hepatitis C virus worldwide: Virus genotypes mirroring the integration are shown in different colors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Daw MA, Dau AA. Hepatitis C virus in Arab world: a state of concern. ScientificWorldJournal. 2012;2012:719494. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tanaka K, Hirohata T, Koga S, Sugimachi K, Kanematsu T, Ohryohji F, Nawata H, Ishibashi H, Maeda Y, Kiyokawa H. Hepatitis C and hepatitis B in the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in the Japanese population. Cancer Res. 1991;51:2842–2847. - PubMed
    1. Deuffic-Burban S, Mohamed MK, Larouze B, Carrat F, Valleron AJ. Expected increase in hepatitis C-related mortality in Egypt due to pre-2000 infections. J Hepatol. 2006;44:455–461. - PubMed
    1. Daw MA, Dau AA, Agnan MM. Influence of healthcare-associated factors on the efficacy of hepatitis C therapy. ScientificWorldJournal. 2012;2012:580216. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Daw MA, El-Bouzedi A. Prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection in Libya: results from a national population based survey. BMC Infect Dis. 2014;14:17. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources