Whole-Genome Analysis of Cervical Human Papillomavirus Type 35 from rural Zimbabwean Women

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types differ by geographic location and the ethnicity of the human host, which may have implications for carcinogenicity. HPV35 is one of the least frequently identified high-risk types in North America and Europe but was the most common high-risk HPV (hrHPV) infection in a cohort in rural Zimbabwe. Whole genome analysis is limited for HPV35; no such studies have been performed in Zimbabwe. Of 648 women in the initial cohort in Zimbabwe, 19 (19/648, 2.9%) tested positive for HPV35, and eight samples were successfully sequenced for HPV35. The maximum number of sequence variants for the whole genome was 58 nucleotides (0.7%) compared to the prototype (58/7879). The maximum number of sequence variants in E6 and E7 was 3 (3/450, 0.7%) 2 (2/300, 0.7%), respectively. These are the first HPV35 whole genome sequences from Zimbabwe, and these data further lend support to the carcinogenicity of HPV35 despite limited sequence heterogeneity. Further studies to determine carcinogenic effects and impact of HPV vaccinations are warranted, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.