History In 1964 a surgeon whose initials are G.B. contracted a hepatitis with jaundice. His serum was saved frozen by Isa K. Mushahwar at Abbott laboratories near Chicago. In 1995 the serum produced hepatitis in tamarins. From these sick animals two types of DNA sequences were recovered different from all hepatitis viruses known until that time. The new viruses appeared to have the characteristics of Flaviviruses. The finding was reported in the April 11 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. A third similar virus was found later in a patient from West Africa that was reported in June 1995 Nature, Medicine. The 3 virus were named GBV-A, GBV-B, GBV-C. These viruses produce clinical pictures similar to hepatitis C. They were named HGV. Of the three, The third, G3 appears to affect man. And seems to produce a long standing disease (Lancet, Oct. 28, 1995.) Later a fulminant form of this infection was encountered in Japan. Still little is known about its transmission and its exact relationship to the liver.