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World J Gastroenterol. Jun 28, 2014; 20(24): 7665-7674
Published online Jun 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i24.7665
Hepatitis B virus lineages in mammalian hosts: Potential for bidirectional cross-species transmission
Cibele R Bonvicino, Miguel A Moreira, Marcelo A Soares
Cibele R Bonvicino, Miguel A Moreira, Marcelo A Soares, Genetics Division, Instituto Nacional de Câncer, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20231-050, Brazil
Cibele R Bonvicino, Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Reservatórios Silvestres, IOC, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21045-900, Brazil
Marcelo A Soares, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21949-570, Brazil
Author contributions: Bonvicino CR, Moreira MA and Soares MA conceived the manuscript, compiled literature and wrote the paper.
Supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico of Brazil, No. 303422/2010-6
Correspondence to: Dr. Cibele R Bonvicino, Genetics Division, Instituto Nacional de Câncer, André Cavalcanti 37, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20231-050, Brazil. cibelerb@inca.gov.br
Telephone: +55-21-32076586 Fax: +55-21-32076586
Received: November 1, 2013
Revised: January 30, 2014
Accepted: March 12, 2014
Published online: June 28, 2014
Abstract

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a cosmopolitan infectious agent currently affecting over 350 million people worldwide, presently accounting for more than two billion infections. In addition to man, other hepatitis virus strains infect species of several mammalian families of the Primates, Rodentia and Chiroptera orders, in addition to birds. The mounting evidence of HBV infection in African, Asian and neotropical primates draws attention to the potential cross-species, zoonotic transmission of these viruses to man. Moreover, recent evidence also suggests the humans may also function as a source of viral infection to other mammals, particularly to domestic animals like poultry and swine. In this review, we list all evidence of HBV and HBV-like infection of nonhuman mammals and discuss their potential roles as donors or recipients of these viruses to humans and to other closely-related species.

Keywords: Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B virus nonhuman host, Cross-species transmission, Hepatitis B virus

Core tip: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an infectious agent affecting humans worldwide. Other HBV-related strains infect mammalian species of primates, rodents and bats, in addition to birds. Evidence of HBV infection in African, Asian and Neotropical primates draws attention to potential cross-species transmission of these viruses to man. Mounting evidence suggests humans may also be a source of viral infection to other mammals, particularly to domestic animals like poultry and swine. We list evidence of HBV and HBV-like infection of nonhuman mammals and discuss their potential roles as donors/recipients of these viruses to humans and to other closely-related species.