Abstract
Background Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is endemic among most sub-Saharan African populations. In those regions with the highest seroprevalences, there is a steady increase in KSHV seropositivity with age among children indicating that horizontal non-sexual transmission in childhood is the primary means of spread. While it is known that saliva is the body fluid that most commonly harbors KSHV and is therefore an important conduit for KSHV transmission, there is scant information on how African children are exposed to saliva and whether this exposure is preventable.
Highlights
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is endemic among most sub-Saharan African populations
While it is known that saliva is the body fluid that most commonly harbors KSHV and is an important conduit for KSHV transmission, there is scant information on how African children are exposed to saliva and whether this exposure is preventable
We created a structured questionnaire to quantitate the prevalence of the various saliva-passing acts we identified in the qualitative work
Summary
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is endemic among most sub-Saharan African populations. In those regions with the highest seroprevalences, there is a steady increase in KSHV seropositivity with age among children indicating that horizontal non-sexual transmission in childhood is the primary means of spread. While it is known that saliva is the body fluid that most commonly harbors KSHV and is an important conduit for KSHV transmission, there is scant information on how African children are exposed to saliva and whether this exposure is preventable
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