Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital AP-HP, Inserm within the Imagine Institute, Paris Cité University and the National Veterinary School of Alfort (EnvA) discovered a previously unknown species of circovirus linked to hepatitis in humans, reports Point.
It is Human Circovirus 1 (HCirV-1). Identified in different animal species in 1974, these very resistant small DNA viruses are responsible for respiratory, renal, dermatological and reproductive problems. HCirV-1 has been shown to cause liver damage in a patient on immunosuppressive therapy.
Suffering from unexplained chronic hepatitis with biological manifestations and few symptoms, this patient had a double heart and lung transplant seventeen years previously. Thus, many samples over several years were available, allowing the identification of HCirV-1 through sequencing.
The results of these analyzes showed that the concentration of the viral genome had reached its peak in September 2021 and severe damage was identified in the patient’s liver.
According to the researchers, once this virus has used the resources of the liver cell to multiply, it destroys it. For the moment, the origin of this virus is not yet known but this discovery makes it possible to anticipate possible future epidemics.
Moreover, a PCR test has been developed in order to carry out the etiological diagnosis of hepatitis of unknown origin and a serological test is under development.
