[Hepatitis G virus exists--but does hepatitis G?].

Hepatitis G virus, or GB virus type C, is a recently discovered RNA virus, remotely related to hepatitis C virus. The infection is frequently found, and seems to be blood-borne, occurring among intravenous drug abusers and transmitted from mother to child. Although long-term viraemia is common, in most cases the infection resolves spontaneously. Whether the viral infection causes liver disease or has other manifestations remains unknown.