Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
Acta Microbiol Immunol Hung. 2023 Jul 25;70(3):246-251. doi: 10.1556/030.2023.02099. Print 2023 Sep 21.
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is one of the most important etiological agents of acute viral hepatitis but comprehensive molecular epidemiological study with chrono-phylogeographical data are not available from Hungary.Between 2003 and 2022, a total of 8,307 HAV infections were registered officially in Hungary of which 400 (4.8%) HAV IgM antibody-positive serum samples were collected countrywide. HAV genomic RNA was successfully detected in 216/400 (54%) sera by RT-PCR subsequently confirmed by sequencing. The complete nucleotide sequences of VP1 region were determined in 32 representative HAV strains. Based on the sequence analysis, 150 (69.4%) strains were characterized as HAV sub-genotype IA and 66 (30.6%) as sub-genotype IB, respectively. Based on the combined epidemiological and molecular data, epidemic, endemic, and imported HAV strains were also characterized. The first two registered countrywide outbreaks started among men-sex-with men (MSM) in 2011 (sub-genotype IA) and 2021 (sub-genotype IB), the continuously circulating endemic/domestic HAV strain (sub-genotype IA) in East Hungary and the travel-related sub-genotype IB strains from Egypt should be highlighted. All HAV strains are deposited in the HAVNET database (https://www.rivm.nl/en/havnet).In this 20-year-long comprehensive molecular epidemiological study, we report the genetic characterization and geographic distribution of endemic, epidemic and imported HAV strains for the first time in Hungary with continuous co-circulation of sub-genotypes IA and IB HAV strains since 2003. These data provide basic information about the HAV situation in the country in an international context and can promote more effective national public health intervention strategies for the prevention of HAV transmissions and infections.
甲型肝炎病毒（HAV）是引起急性病毒性肝炎的最重要病因之一，但匈牙利尚未开展包含时相-地理数据的全面分子流行病学研究。2003 年至 2022 年间，匈牙利共报告了 8307 例 HAV 感染病例，在全国范围内采集了 400 份（4.8%）HAV IgM 抗体阳性血清样本。通过 RT-PCR 成功检测到 216/400（54%）血清中的 HAV 基因组 RNA，随后通过测序进一步确认。从 32 株具有代表性的 HAV 毒株中确定了 VP1 区的完整核苷酸序列。基于序列分析，150 株（69.4%）毒株被鉴定为 HAV 亚基因型 IA，66 株（30.6%）为亚基因型 IB。根据综合流行病学和分子数据，还对流行、地方性和输入性 HAV 毒株进行了特征描述。前两起在全国范围内报告的暴发均发生在男男性行为者（MSM）中，分别是 2011 年（亚基因型 IA）和 2021 年（亚基因型 IB），此外还存在持续循环的地方性/国内 HAV 株（亚基因型 IA）以及来自埃及的与旅行相关的亚基因型 IB 株。所有 HAV 株均已保存在 HAVNET 数据库（https://www.rivm.nl/en/havnet）中。在这项长达 20 年的全面分子流行病学研究中，我们首次报告了匈牙利地方性、流行和输入性 HAV 株的遗传特征和地理分布情况，自 2003 年以来，IA 和 IB 两种亚基因型 HAV 株持续共同循环。这些数据在国际背景下为了解该国 HAV 情况提供了基本信息，并可促进更有效的国家公共卫生干预策略的制定，以预防 HAV 的传播和感染。
