A new variant of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) from South Africa

Phylogenetic analysis of the 5' non-coding region (5'NCR) sequences has dem onstrated that GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) can be separated in to three major groups that correlate with the geographic origin of the isol ate. Sequence analysis of the 5'NCR of 54 GBV-C/HGV isolates from 31 blood donors, 11 haemodialysis patients and 12 patients with chronic liver diseas e suggests the presence of a new variant of GBV-C/HGV in the province of Kw aZulu Natal, South Africa. Eleven isolates grouped as group 1 variants (boo tstrap support, 90%) found predominantly in West and Central Africa, a furt her six isolates grouped as group 2 variants (bootstrap support, 58%) found in Europe and North America; five of which grouped as 2a (bootstrap suppor t, 91%) and one as 2b (bootstrap support, 87%), the latter also includes is olates from Japan, East Africa and Pakistan. Although the remaining 37 GBV- C/HGV isolates were more closely related to group 1 variants (bootstrap sup port, 90%), they formed a cluster, which was distinct from all other known GBV-C/HGV sequences. None of the South African isolates grouped with group 3 variants described from Southeast Asia. Three variants of GBV-C/HGV exist in KwaZulu Natal: groups 1, 2 and a new variant, which is distinct from ot her African isolates. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.