Seroepidemiology of TT virus, GBV-C/HGV, and hepatitis viruses B, C, and E: Among women in a rural area of Tanzania

The seroprevalence and determinants of hepatitis B, C, and E virus infectio n, and of GBV-C/ hepatitis G virus and TT virus infection were investigated among women from a rural area of northeastern Tanzania. High seroprevalenc e rates were found for TTV (74%), HBV (74%), and GBV-C/HGV (35%), whereas 7 % of the women had evidence of HCV and HEV infection. The majority of TTV D NA sequences in the study population belonged to the genotypes 1 or 2. One sequence seems to represent a new subtype of genotype 4. The GBV-C/HGV sequ ences either belonged to the genomic Group 1b or to the recently described Group 4. In multivariate analysis, the detection of TTV DNA was associated significantly with a larger number of children in the household and with ol der age. A history of injections of contraceptive hormones was an independe nt risk factor for HCV infection. The findings on TTV are consistent with f ecal-oral transmission, and recurrent infections may occur in adults. J. Me d. Virol. 62:524-530, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.