Wide variety of genotypes and geographic origins of hepatitis B virus in Belgian children

Background: Belgium is a country with low endemicity for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Few data are available on genotypes or serotypes of HBV am ong infected children. Methods: The S region of the hepatitis B virus genome was amplified and seq uenced in 23 children treated with interferon-alpha in Belgium. Nucleotide sequences were aligned and compared with other known sequences in a phyloge netic analysis. Results: A high stability of the S gene was observed during treatment. Four genotypes were represented in this sample of Belgian patients (A, B, D, an d E) reflecting the geographic diversity of origins. Conclusions: In this series, the wide variety of geographic origins is conf irmed by the molecular characteristics of HBV. In Belgium, HBV infection of children is currently essentially an imported infection.