PCR detection of GB-C/Hepatitis G virus in individuals with liver disease, persons at risk for parenteral transmission and blood donors from Argentina?.

RÉ V.E; LAMPE E; SPINSANTI L; ELBARCHA O; CONTIGIANI M; YOSHIDA C

San Lorenzo Brasil

Congreso; 11th Meeting of the Brazilian Society for Virology and 3h Mercosul Virology; 2000

Sociedad Brasilera de Virología

Objective: To assess the presence of HGV - RNA among healthy blood donors, chronic hepatitis patients and persons at high risk for parenteral transmission diseases from Córdoba Argentina. Outcome measures: presence of HGV RNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with nested primers from the NS5 region. Results:  Eight percent of blood donors were RNA HGV ? positive. The HGV RNA prevalence in individuals who had others risk factors for parenteral infection was  11.8%. For non B ? C hepatitis patients, our results showed a prevalence of 4.8%, HGV RNA was detected in 8.3% hepatitis C patients.  Co - infection HGV/ HCV was demonstrated in 20.7%  Conclusions: Our data indicate that HGV virus circulates in our population, as in normal as pathological populations. The general prevalence (8.1%)was high when compared with developed countries. Furthermore clinical and epidemiological studies are needed on this new and emerging virus.