Hepatitis G virus infections in Iceland

This study describes the prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) in Iceland, in blood donors and in persons with parenteral risk factors. Among 370 rand omly selected Icelandic blood donors, the prevalence of HGV viraemia was 3. 8%, whereas the prevalence of HGV antibodies in the same donor group was fo und to be 13.2%, thus indicating that at least 17% of blood donors in Icela nd had previously been exposed to HGV. Previous exposure was seen in all ag e groups and also in older blood donors. Among intravenous drug users (IVDU s), the prevalence of HGV was much higher, Among 109 hepatitis C virus (HCV ) antibody-positive serum samples collected in the years 1992-1997, 33.9% w ere polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive for HGV and 48.6% had HGV anti bodies, Thus, the pattern of HGV in IVDUs was similar to findings among IVD Us in other western countries. HGV viraemia was detected neither in 10 pati ents with haemophilia nor in five dialysis patients. However, six of the 10 haemophilic patients and one of the five dialysis patients had HGV antibod y. In conclusion, unlike hepatitis C, which seems to have been introduced i nto Iceland relatively recently and has remained virtually confined to IVDU s, exposure to HGV is common among all age groups in the general. populatio n, suggesting that the virus has been prevalent in Iceland for much longer, making additional routes of transmission probable.