Together with researchers at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Inserm, the Université Paris Cité, and the École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, scientists at the Institut Pasteur have identified a new virus! It is a still unknown circovirus species. Its provisional name is Human Circovirus 1 (HCirV-1). What are its characteristics? What are its symptoms? Is there a treatment?
The Liver
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Although it is increasingly common for viruses to pass from animals to humans, new viruses are rarely discovered. However, this is the case with HCirV-1. It belongs to a family of small, highly resistant DNA viruses. This virus family was first identified in animal species in the 1970s. The human circovirus discovered is new and different from the already-known animal circoviruses. The Institut Pasteur recently issued a press release about it.
How was the new circovirus virus discovered?
A 61-year-old female patient had unexplained chronic hepatitis. She had been receiving immunosuppressive treatment for 17 years in connection with her double “heart-lung” transplant. Thanks to very regular monitoring of her double transplant, the researchers were able to take numerous pathological tissue samples over several years and, to their great surprise, identified a new virus. It was indeed the virus responsible for the patient’s hepatitis.
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The tissue samples were sequenced using high-throughput sequencing techniques and powerful computer algorithms. The resulting sequences were compared with sequences of known pathogens. This was a new sequence that matched nothing known.
The effect of infection by this virus
The virus can replicate in human liver cells. It uses the cellular machinery to replicate and then destroys the cell. The destruction of a large number of liver cells causes damage to organ function. However, the patient had only very mild symptoms. Luckily she was able to receive an antiviral treatment, that proved effective in fighting the virus and stopping the destruction of the liver cells. However, it is not yet known how the virus is transmitted (blood, contact, food, etc.).
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To ensure that patients infected with this new virus can be treated as quickly as possible, a PCR diagnostic test has already been developed. This is a rapid and reliable test that can be used in all cases of hepatitis of unknown origin. A serological test will also be developed soon. This is currently the only known case of human infection with HCirV-1. But thankfully the diagnostic test now available may help us shed light on other cases of hepatitis of unknown origin.
References
Circovirus Hepatitis Infection in Heart-Lung Transplant Patient, France
