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GB virus C (GBV-C, previously known as hepatitis G virus) is a common bloodborne virus that was discovered in 1995 but is of ancient ancestry. It remains a virus that has not been linked to any disease in humans. In fact, most of the attention paid to GBV-C has focused on its potential disease-modifying role in HIV infection. Markers of GBV-C infection are common in HIV-positive subjects, and several studies have demonstrated an association between GBV-C viremia and improved survival in HIV-infected patients [1–4]. This allegedly beneficial viral interference has led to suggestions that artificial GBV-C super-infection might be used as a new therapeutic strategy in HIV infection [5]. However, other studies have failed to show this association [6, 7], and the discordant findings have been the subject of much debate over the past few years. It has also been found that GBV-C viremia has a tendency to disappear over time in HIV-infected subjects who are followed up longitudinally. This phenomenon, in turn, is associated with accelerated disease progression [6–8]. Thus, the time point at which GBV-C viremia status is defined is important.

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