Abstract
BackgroundHerpes simplex virus infection is a global health concern with disproportionately high burden in low and middle-income countries. There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of HSV infection in Ghana, which necessitated the present study.The aim of the study was to provide up-to-date data on sero-prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection among women attending Cervicare clinics in Ghana.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study in which 380 women attending routine Cervicare clinics at Regional Hospitals in Kumasi and Accra, Ghana were enrolled into the study. Serum HSV-1 IgG and HSV-2 IgG were determined by ELISA method. The Chi-square test was used to investigate the association between sero-prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 and socio-demographic and behavioral factors using the Statistical Package for the Social Scientists (SPSS) version 22. Statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05.ResultsThe overall HSV-1 and HSV-2 sero-prevalence estimates were 99.2% (95% CI: 98.0–100%) and 78.4% (95% CI: 74.5–81.8%) respectively. The study observed 78.2% cross-positive prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 among the studied participants. There was no association between the presence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection and age (χ2 = 2.351, p = 0.799 and χ2 = 1.655, p = 0.895 respectively). Our findings however, revealed association between the prevalence of HSV-2 and the age at coitarche (p = 0.021) as well as with number of sexual partners (p = 0.022).ConclusionsThe sero-prevalence estimates of HSV-1 and HSV-2 among the study population of women in Ghana were found to be high. This high prevalence could be attributed to high endemicity and inadequate intervention in this population. There is the need to raise awareness through organized public health screening and education to ensure control.
Highlights
Herpes simplex virus infection is a global health concern with disproportionately high burden in low and middle-income countries
Clinical reports citing an increasing number of genital infections caused by Herpes simplex virus (HSV) -1 have been recognized, HSV -2 dominates as a causative agent [1, 2]
Infection with HSV-2 increases the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) acquisition [6, 7]
Summary
Herpes simplex virus infection is a global health concern with disproportionately high burden in low and middle-income countries. There is a paucity of data on the prevalence of HSV infection in Ghana, which necessitated the present study. The aim of the study was to provide up-to-date data on sero-prevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection among women attending Cervicare clinics in Ghana. Infection and reactivation are typically “asymptomatic,” and depend on the host’s immune system as well as the frequency of entries [3, 4]. Both types are highly infectious and can be transmitted from mother to neonate and increase the mortality rate [5]. There is currently no approved vaccine to prevent HSV infection either [8]
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