RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 de Koning, Maurits N. C. A1 Struijk, Linda A1 Bavinck, Jan Nico Bouwes A1 Kleter, Bernhard A1 ter Schegget, Jan A1 Quint, Wim G. V. A1 Feltkamp, Mariet C. W.YR 2007 T1 Betapapillomaviruses frequently persist in the skin of healthy individuals JF Journal of General Virology, VO 88 IS 5 SP 1489 OP 1495 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.82732-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Infections with human papillomaviruses (HPVs) belonging to the genus Betapapillomavirus have been linked to the development of non-melanoma skin cancer. Although persistence is expected, systematic investigation of this aspect of betapapillomavirus (β-PV) infection has not been conducted. This study investigated the prevalence and persistence of 25 known β-PV types in the skin of immunocompetent individuals. Over a 2 year period, eight consecutive plucked eyebrow hair samples taken from 23 healthy individuals were analysed for the presence of β-PV DNA. Using a recently published general β-PV PCR and genotyping method, 61 % of the individuals were β-PV DNA positive for one or more types at intake, whereas during follow-up this percentage rose to 96 %. HPV23 was the most frequently detected β-PV type. Type-specific β-PV DNA was detected over 6 months or longer in 74 % of the individuals. In 57 % of the individuals, DNA from multiple β-PV types was detected simultaneously for 6 months or longer. When the detection intervals of all β-PV type-specific infections in the study population were considered, a substantial proportion, 48 %, lasted at least half a year. The consistent β-PV patterns found over time in most individuals strongly suggested that β-PV DNA detection in plucked eyebrow hairs reveals true β-PV infection. If the minimum interval of detection was set at 6 months, persistent β-PV infections were found in the majority of the study population (74 %)., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.82732-0