Origin and dispersal of Hepatitis E virus.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis E virus (HEV, genus Orthohepevirus) is a common cause of hepatitis worldwide. Human-infecting HEV strains (Orthohepevirus A) include human-restricted and enzootic genotypes. Viruses in the Orthohepevirus A species also infect rabbits (HEV-3ra), camels, and swine. Using a selection-informed method, we dated the origin of the Orthohepevirus genus at least 21 million years ago, whereas the Orthohepevirus A species originated in Asia, most likely from a human-infecting ancestor that existed ~4500 to 6800 years ago. In this period, the appearance of large human settlements probably facilitated HEV emergence and spread. The earliest events in Orthohepevirus A evolutionary history involved the separation of the enzootic and human-restricted genotypes, as well as the split of the camel-i

SUBMITTER: Forni D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5837148 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature