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Isolation and Molecular Investigation of Non-primate Hepacivirus (Hepacivirus A) Strains in Horses Raised in Various Regions of Turkey.

Atasoy M. O. (Executive), Turan T., Işıdan H., Özbek R.

Project Supported by Higher Education Institutions, BAP Research Project, 2021 - 2022

  • Project Type: Project Supported by Higher Education Institutions
  • Support Program: BAP Research Project
  • Begin Date: October 2021
  • End Date: October 2022

Project Abstract

Equine hepacivirus (EHV) is classified under the species hepacivirus A and closely related to the human hepatitis C virus (HCV). EHV presents liver tropism and intermittently causes chronic infections in horses. The disease has been reported from various countries so far; however, no data on either presence or the prevalence of the virus are available from Turkey. In this project, 150 equine serum samples collected from ten provinces will be investigated to demonstrate the current status of hepacivirus A infection. HCV will be detected using molecular methods and the positive samples will further be interpreted by comparative and statistical analysis pipelines. The outputs of this study will be an important step to understand the virus characteristics and lead to future studies on the molecular biology of the human hepatitis C virus.