Published online Nov 27, 2018. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v10.i11.807
Peer-review started: August 3, 2018
First decision: August 20, 2018
Revised: September 10, 2018
Accepted: October 23, 2018
Article in press: October 23, 2018
Published online: November 27, 2018
Processing time: 117 Days and 23.3 Hours
The severity of hepatic pathology and the response to treatment depend on the hepatitis virus genotype in the infected host. The objective of this review was to determine the distribution of hepatitis virus genotypes in West African countries. A systematic review of the literature in PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct was performed to identify 52 relevant articles reporting hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and G viruses genotypes. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype E with a prevalence of 90.6% (95%CI: 0.891-0.920) found in this review, is characterized by low genetic diversity. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1 and 2 represented 96.4% of HCV infections in West African countries, while hepatitis delta virus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis G virus genotypes 1 and HEV genotype 3 were reported in some studies in Ghana and Nigeria. HBV genotype E is characterized by high prevalence, low genetic diversity and wide geographical distribution. Further studies on the clinical implications of HBV genotype E and HCV genotypes 1 and 2 are needed for the development of an effective treatment against this viral hepatitis in West African countries. Surveillance of the distribution of different genotypes is also needed to reduce recombination rates and prevent the emergence of more virulent viral strains.
Core tip: The determination of hepatitis viruses genotypes is very important for the management and treatment of infected patients. Indeed, mutation development, disease progression and antiretroviral response are all dependent on the genotype of the infecting virus. Genotype determination is therefore very important to identify patients who are at increased risk of disease progression and to optimize treatment. The objective of this review was to determine the prevalence and distribution of different hepatitis viruses genotypes in 10 West African countries.