An epidemiological study of HGV infection in an epidemic area of HCV infection in Japan]

We examined the prevalence on HGV infection in a hepatitis C epidemic area where 27.8% of inhabitants 40 years or over were anti-HCV positive. Of the 200 HCV RNA positive inhabitants 17(8.5%) were HGV RNA positive, although one of the 100 anti-HCV negative inhabitants in the same epidemic area, showed HGV RNA positive (1.0%). It might suggest that HGV infections in this HCV infection epidemic area have occurred in relation to HCV infection. The rate of abnormal transaminase in inhabitants HGV RNA and HCV RNA both positive was not different from that in inhabitants HGV RNA negative, but HCV RNA positive. This indicates that a further study is needed about the relationship between liver damage and HGV infection.