Is Hepatitis G Real?

There is a virus that researchers have identified as hepatitis G, but it's unclear if it causes hepatitis. The hepatitis G virus is almost identical to a viral agent called GB virus type C (GBV-C), which has been detected worldwide and has been found in high prevalence in the United States. It's very common to find people with hepatitis C that are co-infected with GBV-C. In addition, GBV-C has been identified in people with chronic viral hepatitis, with cirrhosis of unknown cause and in those with primary hepatocellular carcinoma -- though the role that the virus plays in these illnesses in unclear.

Interestingly, there is some medical evidence to suggest that GBV-C might provide some benefit to those co-infected with HIV. However, more study is needed to understand this relationship.

_Sources:

_{Chopra S. GB Virus C (Hepatitis G) Infection. In: UpToDate, Basow, DS (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA, 2009.}