title: Early acquisition of TT virus (TTV) in an area endemic for TTV infection.
abstract: TT virus (TTV) is widely distributed, with high frequencies of viremia in South America, Central Africa, and Papua New Guinea. The incidence and timing of infection in children born in a rural area of the Democratic Republic of Congo was investigated. TTV viremia was detected in 61 (58%) of 105 women attending an antenatal clinic and in 36 (54%) of 68 infants. Most infants acquired the infection at >/=3 months postpartum. Surprisingly, TTV infection was detected in a large proportion of children with TTV-negative mothers (13 [43%] of 30). Nucleotide sequences of TTV-infected children were frequently epidemiologically unlinked to variants detected in the mother. These three aspects contrast with the maternal transmission of hepatitis G virus/GB virus C in this cohort and suggest an environmental source of TTV infection comparable to hepatitis A virus and other enterically transmitted infections.
authors: Edinburgh and South East Scotland Blood Transfusion Service, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AH United Kingdom.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Davidson
authors: D
authors: D
authors: MacDonald
authors: J L
authors: JL
authors: Mokili
authors: L E
authors: LE
authors: Prescott
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Graham
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Simmonds
mesh_terms: D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000635:transmission; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012424:Rural Population; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral