[The virus isolated from patient TT (TTV): still an orphan 2 years after its discovery]

TTV is the acronym for a virus isolated two years ago from a patient whose initials were T.T. It is a naked virus probably belonging to the Circoviridae family. TTV has a particle size of 30-50 nm and possesses a single-strand circular DNA. Epidemiologic data are derived from studies looking for the viral DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Important differences between early and recent studies appear to be due to the use of PCR assays based on primers located in different regions of the genome. Based on the most recent studies, the prevalence of TTV infections seems very high in the general population. TTV is present in the feces and would be transmitted through the fecal-oral route. It appears to be a ubiquitous virus, also present in various animal species, from chickens to chimpanzees. No association to any pathology has been identified so far, and TTV infection does not have a significant effect on liver disease.