New Hepatitis E Virus Strains Found in Lahore, Pakistan
Author Information
Author(s): Iqbal Tahir, Idrees Muhammad, Ali Liaqat, Hussain Abrar, Ali Muhammad, Butt Sadia, Yousaf Muhammad Zubair, Sabar Muhammad Farooq
Primary Institution: National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Hypothesis
The study aimed to isolate and characterize strains of hepatitis E virus in two mini outbreaks.
Conclusion
The study found that the two new HEV strains were closely related to the Sar-55 strain, indicating it is the main endemic HEV strain in Pakistan.
Supporting Evidence
- The study isolated two new HEV genotype-1 strains from Lahore, Pakistan.
- Phylogenetic analysis showed that the new strains are closely related to the Sar-55 strain.
- Both strains shared 88-91% sequence identity with the Sar-55 isolate.
Takeaway
Researchers found two new types of a virus that causes hepatitis E in Lahore, Pakistan, which are similar to a known strain in the country.
Methodology
The study involved isolating and characterizing HEV strains from patients using PCR and sequencing methods.
Limitations
The study was limited to two mini-outbreaks and may not represent the full diversity of HEV strains in Pakistan.
Participant Demographics
Majority of the patients were males aged between 3-20 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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