Early acquisition of TT virus (TTV) in an area endemic for TTV infection

TT virus (TTV) is widely distributed, with high frequencies of viremia in S outh America, Central Africa, and Papua New Guinea. The incidence and timin g of infection in children born in a rural area of the Democratic Republic of Congo was investigated. TTV viremia was detected in 61 (58%) of 105 wome n attending an antenatal clinic and in 36 (54%) of 68 infants. Most infants acquired the infection at greater than or equal to 3 months postpartum. Su rprisingly, TTV infection was detected in a large proportion of children wi th TTV-negative mothers (13 [43%] of 30), Nucleotide sequences of TTV-infec ted children were frequently epidemiologically unlinked to variants detecte d in the mother. These three aspects contrast with the maternal transmissio n of hepatitis G virus/GB virus C in this cohort and suggest an environment al source of TTV infection comparable to hepatitis A virus and other enteri cally transmitted infections.