Abstract
BackgroundBolivia has the highest prevalence of cervical cancer in South America and the prevalence of viral sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people in urban cities is increasing. Little is known about the prevalence of viral STIs in rural communities, which generally have limited access to health care. In order to study the prevalence of viral STIs in rural Bolivia, we recruited women from villages and towns in the Department of La Paz in Bolivia.MethodsThree hundred ninety-four female participants were assessed for IgG-antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV, anti-HBc), as well as for the presence of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) in dried blood spots. The prevalence of 12 high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) was assessed by qPCR in dried cervicovaginal cell spots from 376 of these women. χ2 test was used to compare variables between the populations and binary logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with the positivity of the tests.ResultsThe seroprevalence of HSV-2 was 53% and of HBV 10.3%. HBAg was detected in 15.8% of women with anti-HBV antibodies indicating chronic infection. The frequency of high-risk HPV infection was 27%, with the most prevalent high-risk HPV types being HPV 56, 39 and 31 followed by HPV 16 and 18. Finally, none of the 394 women were seropositive for HIV, and about 64% of the studied population was positive for at least one of the viral infections.ConclusionsWomen in Bolivian rural communities in La Paz show a high prevalence of HBV, HPV and, in particular, HSV-2. In contrast, none of the women were HIV positive, suggesting that the HIV prevalence in this population is low. The pattern of high-risk HPV types differed from many other countries with a predominance of HPV-types not included in the Gardasil vaccine which was officially introduced in Bolivia in April 2017.
Highlights
Bolivia has the highest prevalence of cervical cancer in South America and the prevalence of viral sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people in urban cities is increasing
Laboratory methods Elution of Dried Blood Spots (DBS) Blood proteins were extracted from DBS by punching one bloodstained circle of 5 mm diameter from the filter paper as previously described [14, 15], The spots were soaked for 24 h at 4 °C in 300 μL of diluent buffer
Demographic data of the study population We investigated the prevalence of viral STIs in women from two provinces of the Department of La Paz, which are inhabited mainly by rural and semi-rural indigenous population
Summary
Bolivia has the highest prevalence of cervical cancer in South America and the prevalence of viral sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people in urban cities is increasing. To investigate and report the prevalence of viral sexually transmitted infections (STIs) other than HIV is important for the introduction or improvement of a wide range of health policies and programs in all regions. It is known that more than 30 microorganisms are sexually transmitted including herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2), hepatitis B virus (HBV), human papillomavirus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). According to the Joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), approximately 37 million people are living with HIV which may cause acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). These general numbers are based on reports and studies performed around the world. The prevalence of viral STIs is unknown in rural areas in Bolivia where the majority of indigenous people are settled
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call