EXPOSURE TO GB VIRUS TYPE-C OR HEPATITIS-G VIRUS IN SELECTED AUSTRALIAN ADULT AND CHILDREN POPULATIONS

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology and disease association for the GB virus type C (GBV-C) or hepatitis G virus (HGV) are poorly understood. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This study describes the exposure rates to GBV-C/ HGV in diverse Australian population groups by testing for current inf ection and evidence of past infection with a reverse transcriptase pol ymerase chain reaction and an anti-E2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assa y, respectively. Subjects included volunteer blood donors, hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV)-positive donors, children, hemodialysis patients, pregnant women attending a prenatal clinic, injecting drug users (IVD Us), and adult hemophiliacs. RESULTS: Combined GBV-C RNA and E2 antibo dy prevalence was 6.5 percent (6/93) in children, 13.3 percent (75/565 ) in blood donors, 14 percent (14/99) in pregnant women, 22.5 percent (18/80) in hemodialysis patients, 80 percent (56/70) in anti-HCV-posit ive donors, 88.6 percent (31/35) in IVDUs, and 85.7 percent (54/63) in adult hemophiliacs. Children had the lowest antibody rate, 1.1 percen t, whereas the rate was 10.8 percent for blood donors and rose to 45.7 percent for IVDUs, 57.1 percent for anti-HCV-positive donors, and 74. 6 percent for hemophiliacs. In contrast, current infection rates were comparable for children, blood donors, and pregnant women (5.4, 2.6, a nd 6%, respectively), rising to 11.1 percent for hemophiliacs, 24.3 pe rcent for anti-HCV-positive donors, and 48.6 percent for IVDUs. Ten of 12 blood donors had persistent viremia, while 2 had recent infections , 1 with apparent resolution. CONCLUSION: Exposure to GBV-C can commen ce at an early age, although ongoing exposure may also occur among adu lts with no apparent risk factors. GBV-C: RNA positivity was not assoc iated with abnormal plasma alanine aminotransferase levels among blood donors.