Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global epidemic that is powered, in part, by a culture of silence and denial of the seriousness of its repercussions. In this paper, we present one of the first investigations of GBV in social media. Considering Twitter as an open pervasive platform that provides means for open discourse and community engagement, we study user engagement with GBV related posts, ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hepatitis G virus/GB virus-C (HGV/GBV-C) is a newly identified member of the Flaviviridae family. Its clinical significance in chronic hepatitis C infection remains controversial. There is a geographical difference in the distribution of GBV-C in the world. The frequency of GBV-C infection among hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients varies. The aim of the current study w...

Gender-based violence (GBV) is common in southern Africa. Here we use GBV to include sexual and non-sexual physical violence, emotional abuse, and forms of child sexual abuse. A sizeable literature now links GBV and HIV infection.Sexual violence can lead to HIV infection directly, as trauma increases the risk of transmission. More importantly, GBV increases HIV risk indirectly. Victims of child...

GB virus C (GBV-C), also known as hepatitis G virus, is a recently discovered flavivirus-like RNA agent with unclear pathogenic implications. To investigate whether human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are susceptible to in vitro GBV-C infection, we have incubated PBMC from four healthy blood donors with a human GBV-C RNA-positive serum. By means of (i) strand-specific reverse transc...

GB virus B (GBV-B) is closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and causes acute hepatitis in tamarins (Saguinus species), making it an attractive surrogate virus for in vivo testing of anti-HCV inhibitors in a small monkey model. It has been reported that the nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) serine protease of GBV-B shares similar substrate specificity with its counterpart in HCV. Authentic prot...

In 49 patients with known Ebola virus disease outcomes during the ongoing outbreak in Sierra Leone, 13 were coinfected with the immunomodulatory pegivirus GB virus C (GBV-C). Fifty-three percent of these GBV-C(+) patients survived; in contrast, only 22% of GBV-C(-) patients survived. Both survival and GBV-C status were associated with age, with older patients having lower survival rates and int...

INTRODUCTION Co-infection with GB virus C (GBV-C) in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) has been associated with prolonged survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of GBV-C infection among HIV-1-infected patients in Venezuela, and to determine the effects of the co-infection on the levels of relevant cytokines. METHODOLOGY Plasma samples were c...

GB virus B (GBV-B) is a hepatotropic virus that is closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV). GBV-B causes acute hepatitis in infected marmosets and tamarins and is therefore a useful small-animal model for the study of HCV. We investigated virus-specific T-cell responses in marmosets infected with GBV-B. Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay responses in the pe...

BACKGROUND Gender-based violence (GBV) is a major global public health concern and is a risk factor for adverse health outcomes. Early identification of GBV is crucial for improved health outcomes. Interactions with health care providers may provide a unique opportunity for routine GBV screening, if a safe, confidential environment can be established. METHODS Between November 2014 and Februar...