The newly identified hepatitis G virus is more likely to be transmitted from mothers to their babies than either hepatitis C virus or HIV, according to a recent study. Polywka is from the Institute for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. HGV, which belongs to the family Flaviviridae causes acute or chronic hepatitis.
Patients receiving blood transfusions or chronic hemodialysis are at a lower risk for both viruses.
In contrast to this, risk of vertical HGV transmission was unknown. To evaluate the risk of vertical transmission, the researchers studied 72 women with and without risk factors for parental viruses and their babies. In contrast, no HGV infection was seen in the group of 14 mothers who had no underlying viral infection. Further studies are in progress to include more of these children and to observe those children infected to reveal the clinical implication of HGV infection. Incidence of vertical transmission of the hepatitis G virus.