Reconstruction of the origin and dispersal of the worldwide dominant Hepatitis B Virus subgenotype D1. Issue 1 (8th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Trovão, Nídia Sequeira; Thijssen, Marijn; Vrancken, Bram; Pineda-Peña, Andrea-Clemencia; Mina, Thomas; Amini-Bavil-Olyaee, Samad; Lemey, Philippe; Baele, Guy; Pourkarim, Mahmoud Reza
• Is Part Of: Virus evolution. Volume 8:Issue 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-04-08
• Subjects: HBV -- D1 -- Bayesian inference -- MCMC -- phylodynamics -- full genome -- temporal signal; Viruses -- Evolution -- Periodicals; 579.2138
• DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac028
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2057-1577

Abstract

Abstract: Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV-D1 is the dominant subgenotype in the Mediterranean basin, Eastern Europe, and Asia. However, little is currently known about its evolutionary history and spatio-temporal dynamics. We use Bayesian phylodynamic inference to investigate the temporal history of HBV-D1, for which we calibrate the molecular clock using ancient sequences, and reconstruct the viral global spatial dynamics based, for the first time, on full-length publicly available HBV-D1 genomes from a wide range of sampling dates. We pinpoint the origin of HBV subgenotype D1 before the current era (BCE) in Turkey/Anatolia. The spatial reconstructions reveal global viral transmission with a high degree of mixing. By combining modern-day and ancient sequences, we ensure sufficient temporal signal in HBV-D1 data to enable Bayesian phylodynamic inference using a molecular clock for time calibration. Our results shed light on the worldwide HBV-D1 epidemics and suggest that this originally Middle Eastern virus significantly affects more distant countries, such as those in mainland Europe.