Hepatitis C Virus Genetic Diversity and Drug Mutational Analysis in Cameroon: 1992 to 2013

HCV infection is endemic in Cameroon. A Direct acting agent (DAAs), sofosbuvir that target the HCV non-structural 5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5B RdRp) has recently been incorporated into the standard of care in Cameroon but no drug resistance study to this DAA has been reported in Cameroon. From the laboratory, 157 sequences were obtained and 252 downloaded from the Los Alamos HCV Sequence Database, of which 45 were Core (C), 112 were envelope (E1) and 252 were NS5B sequences were characterized by phylogeny. Drug resistance pattern in the NS5B gene was analyzed using the Geno2Pheno HCV 0.92 tool. Genotypes 1, 2 and 4 were identified. Several drug resistance-associated mutations in the NS5B gene that confer susceptibility (S282T (0.4%), and M414T (0.4%), I434M (2.8%), M414L (6.0%), C289L (13.5%) that confer possible resistance as well as (F415Y (41.3%) and V179A (4.0%) of unknown effect on sofosbuvir (SOF) were identified. There is a low level resistance rate to SOF in Cameroon.