Eight complete strains of HpgV-2 were identified
Abbott and University of California San Francisco (UCSF) published research identifying a newly discovered human virus, known as human pegivirus 2 (HPgV-2), and proving it is found among some patients with hepatitis C (HCV). This research, published in PLOS Pathogens, identified eight complete strains of HPgV-2, which makes it the first study to reveal the entire genetic makeup of this new virus. Although infection with this blood borne virus was found to be tightly associated with HCV, it is not yet known whether this new virus can cause disease.
The study was conducted by the UCSF-Abbott Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center (VDDC), which was established through a multi-year collaboration between Abbott and UCSF. To identify the new virus, researchers used techniques for sequencing fragments of the genetic makeup of it, including deep sequencing and ultra-rapid pathogen identification technologies. The patient blood sample from which the virus was first discovered was provided by the Center for Liver Diseases at University of Chicago Medical Center.