ON MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HEPATITIS D IN KYRGYZSTAN

HBV and HDV co-infection or superinfectionis significantly associated with markedly more severe liver disease compared with that upon a mono-infection with either of the viruses. This rises the attention of epidemiologists to the sources and transmission routes of hepatitis D, especially in hyper-endemic regions and countries. In 30 patient plasma samples collectedin Kyrgyzstan, genotype IHDV was found. The high variability of viral genome region encoding delta-antigen may be an indication of numerous independent entries of different HDV strains into the the country and, also, of a high rate of evolution of the virus in a geographically isolated region. The high similarity of some isolates with strains specific for neighboring countries endemic for HDV, as well as the close clustering of other isolates confirm bothhypotheses. It is important to identification propagation characteristics and the role of endemicity in the circulation of HDV genotypes of D is great importance.