RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Feng, Yue A1 Ran, Jieyu A1 Feng, Yue-Mei A1 Miao, Jing A1 Zhao, Yue A1 Jia, Yuanyuan A1 Li, Zheng A1 Yue, Wei A1 Xia, XueshanYR 2020 T1 Genetic diversity of hepatitis B virus in Yunnan, China: identification of novel subgenotype C17, an intergenotypic B/I recombinant, and B/C recombinants JF Journal of General Virology, VO 101 IS 9 SP 972 OP 981 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001147 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Yunnan is considered to be a geographical hotspot for the introduction, mutation and recombination of several viruses in China. However, there are limited data regarding the genotypic profiles of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in this region. In this study, we characterized 206 HBV strains isolated from chronic hepatitis B patients in Yunnan, China. Initial genotyping based on 1.5 kb sequences revealed that genotype C was the most prevalent at 52.4 % (108/206), followed by genotype B at 30.6 % (63/206) and unclassified genotypes at 17.0 % (35/206). To characterize the 35 unclassified strains, 32 complete HBV genomes were amplified and analysed; 17 isolates were classified within a known subgenotype, 8 were classified as B/C recombinants, 1 was classified as a B/I recombinant and 6 constituted a potentially novel C subgenotype that we designated as C17, based on the characteristics of a monophyletic cluster, >4 % genetic distances, no significant evidence of recombination and no epidemiological link among individuals. Thus, multiple subgenotypes – namely B1, B2, B4, C1, C2, C3, C4, C8 and C17 – and two distinct intergenotypic recombinants exist in Yunnan, China, highlighting the complex and diverse distribution pattern of HBV genotypic profiles., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/jgv.0.001147