Seroprevalence and Co-Infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Among PregnantWomen in Lokoja, North-Central Nigeria
نویسندگان
1 Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
2 Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Nigeria
4 Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
5 Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
doi
چکیده
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is normally associated with orofacial (orolabial) infections and encephalitis, whereasHSV-2 usually causes genital infections and can be transmitted from infected mothers to neonates. The evidence suggesting thatHSV is facilitating the spread of the global human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and the risk posed by these synergies toneonates in developing countries informed this study.Objectives: To determine the seroprevalence and co-infection of HIV and HSV, as well as their associated risk factors, in Lokoja,Nigeria.Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional, prospective study, which was carried out among pregnant women attendingthe antenatal clinic at the federal medical centre in Lokoja, Nigeria. sociodemographic characteristics and HIV-HSV status were determinedby the use of a structured questionnaire and immunoassay kits, respectively. All data were analyzed using Stata statisticalsoftware (version 12), and the level of significance was determined to be P < 0.05 using the chi-square test.Results: Of the 250 pregnant women screened for HIV and HSV, 154 (61.6%) were in the 2nd trimester of gestation, and all of theco-infected respondents were in their 2nd trimester. Only six (2.4%) of the respondents tested positive for HIV, with all six (100%)showing positivity for HSV so the co-infection rate was six (2.4%). Co-infection was found to occur between the ages of 15 and 35years, while higher age groups did not show any co-infection. Parity, level of education, and history of painful genital ulcers had nosignificant association with co-infection.Conclusions: Advocacyandpublicity to raise awareness of the potential public health impact of HSVandHIV co-infection in Nigeria,where anti-HSV testing is not generally performed in all populations, is therefore recommended.
