Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part B (2025)

Background: Every year, over 3-4 million new cases of HCV infection are reported worldwide. Enhancing the effectiveness and tolerability of HCV treatment has been made possible by advances in our understanding of the genome and proteins of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Because HCV genotype influences treatment and medication dosage, it is necessary to determine HCV genotype prior to beginning treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine which HCV genotypes and subtypes were prevalent among Bangladesh's HCV-infected population.

Methods: The study participants were chosen from among anti-HCV-positive blood donors at BSMMU's Department of Virology for HCV RNA measurement. Following the measurement of the HCV viral load, 36 randomly chosen specimens from 150 HCV RNA-positive samples were included in this cross-sectional study and subjected to One Step testing for NS5B gene amplification. The RT-PCR. After 36 readable partial sequences of the NS5B gene were discovered, the NCBI Genotyping tool was utilized to genotype the circulating HCV.

Findings: Of the study population, 31 (86.1%) had genotype 3 infection, whereas only 5 (13.9%) had genotype 1 infection. In the study population, subtype 3b was the most common (42%) and was followed by subtype 3a (39%), 1b (11%), 3g (5%), and 1a (3%). The circulating strains of Bangladeshi HCV clustered closely with strains from Pakistan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Germany, the United States, and Canada, according to phylogenetic analysis of the virus's sequences. In addition to working abroad and sharing one or two drug trafficking routes, all of these nations share immigration-related migration.

Conclusion: The current study's findings, which will help clinicians better treat chronic HCV patients, showed that at least two genotypes and five distinct HCV subtypes are prevalent among Bangladesh's hepatitis C-infected population.