Prevalent HBV genotypes and subtypes in a South Indian population.

Background: Genotypes or genetic subtypes describe genetically related strains and have been described for viruses belonging to several different families. The eight major genotypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) have distinct geographic distribution. Recent studies suggest possible pathogenic and therapeutic differences among HBV genotypes.

High prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and genotype distribution among general population, blood donors and risk groups.

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the general population and in various high risk groups in south India was assessed. A total of 258 out of 3589 (7.1%) subjects (both general and risk groups) tested positive for HCV RNA by RT-PCR, while the third generation ELISA detected only 6.