Hepatitis C classification
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Overview
HCV may be classified according to the genotype into 6 major genotypes and >60 subtypes.
Classification
Classification
Shortly after the discovery of the hepatitis C virus, various isolations revealed that the virus is genetically diverse. According to the genomic sequence heterogeneity, HCV has been classified into 11 genotypes (6 of which are considered major), designated 1-11; 18 assigned subtypes, designated a, b, c, etc.; tens of others pending assignment; and hundreds of strains, numbered 1, 2, 3, etc.[1]
In less than 10 years, the number of assigned subtypes increased from only 18 in 2005 to 67 in 2014. Similarly, the number of complete coding sequences increased from just 238 to at least 1,300.[1] The number of incomplete sequences is currently greater than 500, some of which are expected be completed in the near future.
The following table shows the different HCV genotypes and their corresponding loci/isolates:[1]
| Genotype | Endemicity | Loci/Isolates |
|---|---|---|
| Genotype 1 | Most common (60% of all HCV infections). It has a worldwide distribution, but mostly in Northern Europe, Northern America, Southern and Eastern Europe, and Japan |
|
| Genotype 2 | Second most common after genotype 1. It has a worldwide distribution, but mostly in Northern Europe, Northern America, Southern and Eastern Europe, and Japan |
|
| Genotype 3 | South-East Asia |
|
| Genotype 4 | Middle East, especially Egypt, and Central Africa |
|
| Genotype 5 | South Africa |
|
| Genotype 6 | Asia |
|
References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Smith DB, Bukh J, Kuiken C, Muerhoff AS, Rice CM, Stapleton JT; et al. (2014). “Expanded classification of hepatitis C virus into 7 genotypes and 67 subtypes: updated criteria and genotype assignment web resource”. Hepatology. 59 (1): 318–27. doi:10.1002/hep.26744. PMC 4063340. PMID 24115039.
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