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A Cell Culture Model for Producing High Titer Hepatitis E Virus Stocks
Published on: June 26, 2020
Evolutionary history and population dynamics of hepatitis E virus
Michael A Purdy1, Yury E Khudyakov
1Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America. mup3@cdc.gov
Plos One
|January 5, 2011
Summary
The Hepatitis E virus (HEV) likely evolved through animal hosts, with its common ancestor emerging 536-1344 years ago. HEV genotypes 1, 3, and 4 expanded in the 20th century, with regional variations in transmission dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an enterically transmitted hepatotropic virus with four genotypes.
- While all genotypes infect humans, genotypes 3 and 4 also infect animal species, suggesting a zoonotic potential.
- Previous studies have not analyzed the evolutionary history of HEV.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the evolutionary history of the Hepatitis E virus.
- To determine the origin and diversification of HEV genotypes.
- To investigate the population dynamics and transmission patterns of HEV genotypes.
Main Methods:
- Bayesian analysis using BEAST to calculate the most recent common ancestors (MRCA) of HEV genotypes.
- Skyline plots to analyze population dynamics of HEV genotypes 1, 3, and 4.
- Comparative analysis of Chinese and Japanese HEV-4 sequences to assess regional evolutionary differences.
Main Results:
- The MRCA for modern HEV existed between 536 and 1344 years ago.
- HEV likely evolved from a progenitor that adapted to animal hosts, leading to anthropotropic (genotypes 1 and 2) and enzootic (genotypes 3 and 4) forms.
- Genotypes 1, 3, and 4 experienced population expansions in the 20th century, with distinct timing and patterns, followed by declines starting around 1990.
- Genotype 4 showed different population dynamics in China and Japan, indicating varied evolutionary histories.
Conclusions:
- HEV's evolution involved adaptation to successive animal hosts before transmission to humans.
- Significant temporal variations in HEV transmission rates were observed among different genotypes and geographic regions, particularly in the late 20th century.
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