Abstract
The epidemiology of herpes simplex virus infections is of growing interest but information on its seroprevalence in many countries is scarce. This study aimed to measure the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 in Filipino and Indian men living in Qatar. Blood serum specimens were collected from male blood donors aged ≥ 18 years in Qatar from 2013 to 2016. HerpeSelect® 1/2 and Euroline-WB assays were used to measure antibodies to herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 in 120 Filipino and 325 Indian men. The seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus-1 was 84.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): 78.4-90.0%) in Filipino men and 48.3% (95% CI: 43.6-53.0%) in Indian men. The seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus-2 was 8.3% (95% CI: 4.6-13.7%) in Filipinos and 3.7% (95% CI: 2.2-5.9%) in Indians. The seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 increased with age, but this trend was only statistically significant in Indian men (P = 0.013 and P = 0.011 respectively). The seroprevalence rates of herpes simplex virus-2 in Filipino and Indian men living in Qatar were similar to those found in the Philippines and India. However, the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus-1 in Indians, while similar to that found in India, was substantially lower than that of other countries in Asia and developing countries worldwide, which needs further investigation.
Highlights
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) and type 2 (HSV‐2) are widespread lifelong infections [1,2,3,4], and are associated with mild to severe health consequences
The seroprevalence rates of herpes simplex virus‐2 in Filipino and Indian men living in Qatar were similar to those found in the Philippines and India
Of the 120 serum specimens tested for antibodies to HSV‐1 and HSV‐2, 101 sera tested positive for HSV‐1, 18 sera tested negative and one was equivocal, giving an HSV‐1 seroprevalence of 84.9%
Summary
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) and type 2 (HSV‐2) are widespread lifelong infections [1,2,3,4], and are associated with mild to severe health consequences. HSV‐1 is generally acquired through the oral route during childhood with mild to serious morbidity, but evidence from the United States of America (USA) and Western Europe indicates a growing sexual acquisition through oral sex [5,9,10]. HSV‐2 is nearly always acquired sexually and is strongly associated with HIV infection [11,12,13], with its prevalence patterns providing key inferences about the structure of sexual networks [14]. The epidemiology of herpes simplex virus infections is of growing interest but information on its seroprevalence in many countries is scarce
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