Velia Chiara Di Maio1, Valeria Cento1, Marianna Aragri1, Stefania Paolucci2, Teresa Pollicino3, Nicola Coppola4, Bianca Bruzzone5, Valeria Ghisetti6, Maurizio Zazzi7, Maurizia Brunetto8, Ada Bertoli1, Silvia Barbaliscia1, Silvia Galli9, William Gennari10, Fausto Baldanti2, Giovanni Raimondo3, Carlo Federico Perno1, Francesca Ceccherini-Silberstein11. 1. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. 2. Molecular Virology, Policlinic Foundation San Matteo, Pavia, Italy. 3. Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Messina, Messina, Italy. 4. Infectious Diseases and Viral Hepatitis Unit, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy. 5. Hygiene Unit, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy. 6. Laboratory of Microbiology and Virology, Amedeo di Savoia Hospital, ASL Città di Torino, Turin, Italy. 7. Virology, Siena University Hospital, Siena, Italy. 8. Hepatology Unit and Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Pathology of Hepatitis Viruses - University Hospital of Pisa, Italy. 9. Microbiology and Virology Unit, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital-Bologna, Italy. 10. Microbiology Laboratory, University Hospital, Modena, Italy. 11. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: ceccherini@med.uniroma2.it.