A novel research has unveiled that a 53,000-year-old strain of hepatitis B (HBV) found nowhere else in the world outside of the Northern Territory could prove useful against liver cancer. The C4 strain of HBV entered Australia thousands of years ago.

Northern Territory is having high rates of liver cancer among Indigenous Australians. Dr Josh Davis, from Menzies School of Health Research, has termed the strain to be stronger than the strain to be found anywhere else.

"This particular C4 virus is quite ancient and probably entered Australia around 53,000 years ago. That also happens to be when we also think that people entered Australia based on the fossil records", affirmed Davis.

The researchers have affirmed that HBV can be divided into subtypes. There are different types of subtypes of HBV within the population. But in the Northern Territory, just one type of subtype of HBV is present and could only be found in northern Australian Indigenous people.

The researchers found this strain while carrying out genetic fingerprinting research about people of Northern Territory infected with hepatitis B. It has also been found that the subtype makes person more susceptible to liver cancer.

Through this way, researchers can focus on diagnosing the disease, so that the effective treatment is possible. Davis said that the research has also unveiled that it is not necessary that liver disease and hepatitis B happen due to environmental, social and lifestyle factors.

In northern Australia and in Indigenous people, it is quite a common infection and should not be considered as stigma.