A hepatitis B subtype only seen in Aboriginal patients in northern Australia \u2014 in fact, a subtype seen in all Aboriginal patients in the NT \u2014 appears particularly dangerous, researchers say.<\/p>\n
The subtype, called C4, was first identified in 2013, and a new cohort study has found that fibrosis and cirrhosis are highly prevalent among patients with C4.<\/p>\n
To date, every single genotype analysis of hepatitis B (HBV) from Aboriginal Australians from the NT, as well as many from northern WA and western Queensland, has shown this genotype, says infectious diseases physician Professor Jane Davies.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost places where you look in the world, you will find a few different genotypes within a population,\u201d said Professor Davies, a co-author of the new study who also helped identify C4 over a decade ago.<\/p>\n
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