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Discovery and epidemiology of the human polyomaviruses BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV)

Wendy A Knowles1

  • 1Health Protection Agency, London, UK.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|April 22, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Polyomaviruses like BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV) show distinct transmission patterns. While BKV infects most children globally, JCV infection varies by population, suggesting different transmission routes for these common viruses.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV) are common human polyomaviruses with largely unknown transmission dynamics.
  • Primary infections are typically asymptomatic, necessitating seroprevalence studies to understand epidemiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare the epidemiological patterns of BKV and JCV in the general population.
  • To elucidate potential differences in transmission routes and infection acquisition between BKV and JCV.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of age-stratified seroprevalence data for BKV and JCV antibodies.
  • Examination of BKV DNA and JCV viruria prevalence in healthy adults.
  • Review of known viral subtypes and genotypes for BKV and JCV.

Main Results:

  • BKV demonstrates widespread early childhood infection, reaching high adult seroprevalence (65-90%) by age ten.
  • JCV infection patterns vary significantly across populations, with some showing early acquisition and others a lifelong increase in prevalence.
  • JCV viruria is common in adults (20-60%), unlike BKV DNA, suggesting distinct shedding patterns.

Conclusions:

  • BKV and JCV likely transmit independently via different routes due to differing epidemiological patterns.
  • JCV genotypes offer insights into population movements and history.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the source and transmission modes of these ubiquitous viruses.

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