High prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic Of Congo: A phylogenetic analysis

Abstract

A prevalence of 10.3% of GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV) carriers was found in 97 pregnant women from Kinshasa, Congo (formerly Zaire), while prevalences of 1%, 4.1%, and 0% were found for hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and human T-lymphotropic virus respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of the ten GBV-C/HGV positives based on the 5' non-coding region using three different methods identified consistently three GBV-C/HGV genotypes. Four main clades were found within the type 1 sequences. All the Congolese isolates are GBV-C/HGV type 1 in two different clades. The clustering of seven Congolese isolates was inconsistent in different methods. Further likelihood-mapping analysis showed a well-resolved phylogeny, confirming the clustering of the seven Congolese isolates with a Belgian strain representing a new clade in the GBV-C/HGV type 1 sequences.

Hepatitis C virus infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo exhibit a cohort effect

“…Globally, 1-4% of healthy blood donors are viremic for HPgV and another 13% carry anti-HPgV antibodies (Blair et al, 1998;Gutierrez et al, 1997;Pilot-Matias et al, 1996;Tacke et al, 1997). Here, we found HPgV RNA in 12.7% of samples, consistent with a previous survey that reported viremia in 10.3% of pregnant women in Kinshasa (Liu et al, 1999). We could not assess the frequency of HCV/HPgV co-infection because due to limited sample volume only those samples that were HCV seronegative were screened for HPgV.…”

“…Laurent et al (2001) surveyed pregnant women and commercial sex workers (CSW) in Kinshasa and reported seroprevalences of 6.6% among CSW and 4.3% among pregnant women. Liu et al (1999) also investigated pregnant women from Kinshasa (n = 97) and found that while 10.3% carried human pegivirus (HPgV) RNA, only 1% carried HCV RNA. Most recently, Batina Agasa et al (2010) screened 140 patients with sickle-cell disease in Kisangani for anti-HCV antibodies and found 7.9% were seropositive, all of whom had received blood transfusions before the introduction of HCV screening in 2004.…”

Prevalence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus among blood donors in north‐eastern Brazil

“…1997 ). The results from Brazil are comparable to prevalences in Congo or South Africa ( Liu et al . 1999 ; Casteling et al .…”

Screening of Hepatitis G and Epstein-Barr Viruses Among Voluntary Non Remunerated Blood Donors (Vnrbd) in Burkina Faso, West Africa

“…In healthy Kuwaitian, Jordanian and Tunisian blood donors the HGV prevalence of 24.6; 9.8% and 5.3%, have been reported, respectively 20,21. In central Africa, HGV prevalence of 10.3% and 12.6% was also found among pregnant women 22,23…”