A new clade of hepatitis B virus subgenotype F1 from Peru with unusual properties

There are eight genotypes A–H of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Most genotypes are further divided into subgenotypes. Genotypes and subgenotypes influence the natural course of infection and therapy. We analysed nine sera from HBV carriers from Peru. Using the small hepatitis B surface protein HBs, all samples could be grouped to genotype F. Sequencing of three complete Peruvian genomes showed that HBV from Peru belongs to subgenotype F1. Two of the genomes from HBeAg positive carriers coded surprisingly for a stop codon in the polymerase-ORF leading to a translational stop after 213 and 214 aa, respectively. The third isolate from an HBe Ag positive carrier had three deletions: aa 1–53 and aa 111–142 in preS. In addition nt. 2002–2087 in the HBc-ORF were deleted, leading to an HBc starting at aa 66.