GB virus-C – a virus without a disease: We cannot give it chronic fatigue syndrome

James F Jones¹ , Prasad S Kulkarni² , Salvatore T Butera² and William C Reeves¹

¹Viral Exanthems and Herpesvirus Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, mailstop A-15, Atlanta, Georgia, 30333, USA

²Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, mailstop G-19, Atlanta, Georgia, 30333, USA

author email corresponding author email

BMC Infectious Diseases 2005, 5:78doi:10.1186/1471-2334-5-78


Published:	28 September 2005

Abstract

Background

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an illness in search of an infectious etiology. GB virus-C (GBV-C) virus is a flavivirus with cell tropism and host defense induction qualities compatible with a role in producing the syndrome. The GBV-C genome is detectable in 4% of the population and 12% of the population is seropositive. The present study evaluated the association between infection with GBV and CFS.

Methods

We used a commercial EIA to detect antibodies against the GBV-C E2 protein and a quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay to detect active GBV-C infection. Sera were from a case control study of CFS in Atlanta, Georgia. The Fisher's exact two-tailed test was used for statistical analysis.

Results

Two of 12 CFS patients and one of 21 controls were seropositive for prior GBV-C infection and one control had viral RNA detected, indicating active infection. The results are not statistically different.

Conclusion

We found no evidence that active or past infection with GBV is associated with CFS.