High Burden of On-Going HSV-1 and -2 Infections in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals in a Secondary Healthcare Facility in Imo State, Nigeria

Because of shared route of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), herpes  simplex virus type 1(HSV-I) and type 2 (HSV-2), HIV-1-infected persons are also susceptible to infection by  HSV-1 and HSV-2. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgM antibodies  among HIV-infected individuals accessing healthcare at General Hospital, Awo-Omamma Imo state, Nigeria.  This is a hospital-based cross-sectional study. Blood samples were collected from 182 (38 males and 144  females: age range 3-72 years; mean age 36.5 years) HIV-infected participants on ART after collecting pertinent  socio-demographic data using questionnaires. Serum from each sample was tested for the presence of IgM  antibodies against HSV-1 and -2 using ELISA. Data were analysed using Chi-squared test and binary logistic  regression analysis with SPSS 15.0 for Windows. Of the 182 samples tested, 166 (91.2%) and 156 (85.7%) were  respectively positive for HSV-1 and HSV-2 while 148 (81.3%) were positive for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgM  antibodies. These respectively represented dual HIV/HSV-1, HIV/HSV-2 and triple HIV/HSV-1/HSV-2  infection rates. Variables analysed as risk factors include patients’ gender, age group, marital status, educational  status and CD4+ cell count. Age was predictive of HIV/HSV-1 dual infection while gender and age were both  predictive of HIV/HSV-2 dual infection rates among the participants. This study reports high seroprevalence of  both HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgM antibodies among this cohort. Mass education targeted especially at the most  vulnerable groups on the dangers and ways of preventing these infections is recommended.