The hepatitis B virus highlights ancient human population movements in Australia

This discovery is an offshoot of the CHARM (Characterization of Hepatitis B) study in Aboriginal Australians, initiated in 2010 by the School of Health Research Menzies (Menzies). Chronic HBV infection is endemic to Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality from liver disease and liver cancer.

As part of the CHARM study, as part of the CHARM study, the research team collected HBV samples from people living in more than 30 TN communities and discovered that isolated HBV from Australians indigenous is a unique strain, not found anywhere in the world. known as HBV / C4.

In the same way that human genome sequences are used to trace ancient human migration, researchers predicted that they could use modern viral genomes to infer the movement of people who carried these viruses during many generations.

Posted in Molecular Biology and Evolution, the study used advanced evolutionary badyzes of HBV DNA sequences as well as archaeological data on fossils and the human genome.

The researchers found that the precursor to the modern VHB / C4 virus entered Australia more than 51,000 years ago, and then split into two groups. one centered in the northwestern region and a second in the central / eastern region of the NT. It is striking that both groups share a similar geographic distribution to the two main divisions of Australian Aboriginal languages ​​spoken in Australia today.

Co-author of the paper, Dr. Margaret Littlejohn of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, who holds an honorary position at the University of Melbourne and is Senior Scientist at the Victoria Reference Laboratory on Infectious Diseases at the Doherty Institute , said the point of entry The moment of ancient human migration to the Sahul continent – the combined landmbad of Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania – is the subject of debate.

"While we were badyzing isolated HBV sequences in this study, we found that virus sequences had very strong geographic connections to the communities we visited," said Dr. Littlejohn.

"This has led us to postulate that we might be able to use this geographic relationship to know the origin of HBV and how long it could have been in Australia.This is the first time that viral genomes are used in this way in Australia. "

Professor Josh Davis, Senior Researcher at Menzies, also said that this discovery has generated a great deal of interest among research partners and Aboriginal patients.

"Very pleasantly, this has raised the profile of hepatitis B in communities.The community members asked to know more about hepatitis B and how they can be tested and treated" said Professor Davis.

"It's really exciting to take an innovative approach and use viral genetics to tell the story of the first peoples of Australia."

The study was approved by an Aboriginal reference group composed of members representing six different isolated communities across the NWT. Set up by the Menzies research program on hepatitis B. The researchers also ensured that the results were communicated to the main communities from which the samples came.

Sarah Bukulatjpi, a Senior Practitioner in Aboriginal Health, also said, "I'm really excited that we're finding out more about HBV among Aboriginal people, which can only help eliminate future hepatitis B."

"It is good for us to learn about it and for us not to be silent or to feel ashamed, the fact that the virus is so old adds to the evidence that aboriginals have been in Australia for a long time." she concluded. .

Explore further:
Genetics Reveals 50,000 Years of Independent History of the Aboriginal Australian People

More information:
Molecular Biology and Evolution (2019). DOI: 10.1093 / molbev / msz02