Searching for Hepacivirus related to hepatitis C virus in nonhuman primates

Abstract

Hepacivirus genus comprises hepatitis C virus (HCV), but a proposal to include other viruses, originated from dogs, horses, rodents, and GB virus B (GBV-B), is being made. HCV, or any other virus phylogenetically related to it, has not been identified in wild nonhuman primates, differently from HBV-like viruses. HCV infections in humans are severe, therefore a search for Hepacivirus in other animals is needed for they can cross the evolutionary barrier causing infections in humans. This study tried to identify a nonhuman primate origin for Hepacivirus. Primers have been designed, which bind on HCV IRES region, resulting a final product of 188 bp. A total of 1,054 samples collected from 36 nonhuman primate species were analyzed, of which just 12 presented defined bands and were negative for Hepacivirus after sequencing. In evolutionary analysis, GB virus C in a phylogenetic position is the most distant from HCV, while GBV-B is the nearest. Although HCV-related Hepacivirus is not found in nonhuman primates, its existence cannot be denied. Studies involving other species, such as GB viruses and possible new Hepacivirus, can solve the evolutionary process that has allowed HCV infect humans, since they seem to be the link between HCV and viral species found in wild animals.