Recently, two new flaviviruses, GB virus A (GBV-A) and GB virus B (GBV
-B), were identified in the plasma of a tamarin infected with the hepa
titis GB agent. A third virus, GB virus C (GBV-C), was subsequently id
entified in humans. In the current study, representational difference
analysis (RDA) was used to search for a new virus in the serum of a ch
impanzee that developed acute resolving hepatitis following inoculatio
n with a pool of chimpanzee plasma. The plasma pool originated from se
rial passages of a human sample containing virus-like particles. Numer
ous cDNA clones were obtained that exhibited 62-80% identity with GBV-
C. With the exception of the extreme 5' and 3' ends, the complete vira
l genome was sequenced, revealing a single large open reading frame en
coding a 2833 amino acid polyprotein that contains two envelope protei
ns, two proteases, a helicase, and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Ph
ylogenetic analysis of the new virus indicates that it is closely rela
ted to GBV-C, yet still sufficiently divergent as to be placed in a se
parate group, tentatively labeled GB virus C-troglodytes (GBV-C-tro).
Numerous human samples were screened by reverse transcriptase-polymera
se chain reaction (RT-PCR), but GBV-Ctro sequence was not detected. Ho
wever, a second chimpanzee inoculated with the same plasma pool was sh
own to develop a GBV-C-tro infection. Although isolated from an Old Wo
rld primate with hepatitis, the primary host of GBV-C-tro and any asso
ciation with disease remains to be determined. J. Med. Virol. 56:44-51
, 1998. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.