Prevalence of Human Pegivirus Infection during High Risk Pregnancy and its Vertical Transmission to the Newborn

Human Pegivirus (HPgV-1), which was known as hepatitis G virus (HGV) or GB virus C (GBV-C) is a single – stranded positive RNA virus belonging to the genus Pegivirus of Flaviviridae family. Its genomic organization is similar to that of HCV with which it has only 25% homology at the nucleotide level. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of HPgV-1 among high risk pregnant women (with HCV infection or history of previous blood transfusion) and normal pregnant women. In addition to detect the vertical transmission of the virus to their newborns. Thirty term high risk and thirty term normal pregnant females were screened for HPgV-1 RNA using the reverse transcription PCR technique. HPgV-1 was detected in six females among those who have HCV infection (33.3%) and in two females among recipients of blood transfusion (16.6%), also it was detected in one female of the control group (3.3%). The outcome of newborns showed three newborns with HPgV-1 infection out of six born to the females who have both HCV and HPgV-1 infection and one newborn of the infected mother of the control group, however, liver functions of the newborns were in the normal range for age requiring long term follow up.