Metagenomic identification of human Gemykibivirus-2 (HuGkV-2) in parenterally infected blood donors from the Brazilian Amazon.

OBJECTIVES

To metagenomically analyse blood units originating from the Brazilian Amazon and positive for parenterally transmitted infections (human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV), Chagas disease or syphilis).

METHODS

Twenty plasma samples (35% HBV-positive, 10% HIV-positive, 10% HCV-positive, 20% positive for syphilis, 20% for Chagas disease, and 5% for HTLV) assembled in pools were analysed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing. The obtained raw sequencing data were submitted to a bioinformatic pipeline set up for identification of emerging viruses. The viral reads of interest were phylogenetically analysed and confirmed by PCR in the individual samples.

RESULTS

The metagenomic analysis identified contigs belonging to the emerging human Gemykibivirus-2 (HuGkV-2) in two pools. The HuGkV-1 phylogeny demonstrated that the Amazonian isolate formed a separate cluster with other HuGkV-2 strains obtained from human hosts. The PCR confirmation detected HuGkV-1 DNA in three individual samples (15%).

CONCLUSIONS

HuGkV-2 is an emerging virus with unknown clinical impact. The detection of HuGkV-2 DNA in blood donations positive for parenterally transmitted infections showed that HuGkV-2 can be considered as an opportunistic viral agent with a hypothetic parenteral transmission route.