Journal of Liver

First evidence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in free ranging Neotropical primates, Rondonia, Brazil

World Congress on Hepatitis

July 20-22, 2015 Orlando, Florida, USA

Deusilene Souza Vieira Dall?Acqua

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Liver

Abstract:

There is a knowledge gap on the occurrence and prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) in free ranging New World Primates (NWP). Different HBV genotypes have been isolated in all Old World Apes and only one strain has been found in a zoo kept New World monkey (woolly monkey). In this study we carried out the first systematic investigation of the presence of HBV in free ranging NWP in Rondonia State, western Brazil. Our objective was not only to isolate this virus for the first time in NWP but also, if found, to investigate its phylogenetic relationship with other known Human and Non Human HBV. 35% of our wild caught primates tested positive for HBV. We sequenced 400 bp of the S gene of four of our samples. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that all four samples shared a recent common ancestor with the human cosmopolitan strain, HBV A. Based on our results, we suggest that the positive NWP samples were infected by strains brought in by human immigrants to this part of Brazil. Due to continued habitat fragmentation in many parts of Brazil, humans are increasingly encroaching previously remote forest areas, which is the case of Rondonia State where nearly 80% of the original forest cover has been eliminated in several municipalities. We believe that there is a greater potential for the transmission of HBV between Human and Non Human primates in these areas. In conclusion this is the first description of HBV infection in non-human primates in the Amazon region. It shows that further studies are needed to understand the occurrence, prevalence, distribution and epidemiological importance of the region.