ABSTRACT
The prevalence of GBV-C and HGV in blood donor populations in developd countries based on HGV detection and anti-E2 screening ranges from 1 to 5 and 3 to 14% respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate seroepidemiologic hepatitis G virus [HGV] in blood donors, heamodialysis patients, hemophiliacs, and beta thalassemics with a history of liver disease by Elisa technique. In this descriptive study, blood samples of 330 volunteer blood donors, 44 heamodialysis patients, 16 haemophiliacs, and 40 beta major thalassemics with a history of liver disease were studied by Elisa technique for their seroepidemiologic status of hepatitis G virus and their past record HGV infection. For data analysis, Ch-square, Fisher exact test, and SPSS version 11.5 were used. This study showed that out of 330 healthy blood donors 14[4.2%], out of 44 heamodialysis patients 10[22.7%], out of 16 haemophiliacs 5 [30.3%] and out of 40 beta thalassemics 10 [25%] were positive for HGV-anti-E2. These data are significant evidence for HGV to be considered as a transfusion-transmitted infection. The prevalence of anti-HGV and anti-HCV [co-infection] was found to involve 10 [30.3%] of heamodialysis patients, 4 [28.6%] of haemophiliacs and 9 [23.7%] of beta thalassemics. It was also found that 1 [8.3%] of heamodialysis patients, 1 [33.3%] of haemophiliacs, and 1 [50%] of beta thalassemics were infected with anti-HGV and HBsAg co-infection. The prevalence of HGV was high in multitransfused individuals including heamodialysis patients, haemophiliacs, and thalassaemics. Therefore, HGV was a transfusion-transmittable agent. Co-infection of anti-HGV with HCV was observed in viruses. It is recommended that further studies focus on evaluating sexual and vertical transmission routes so as to cast light on relatively high rate of HGV in donor population