Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type-2 among patients attending the Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinic in Jos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

Infection with Herpes Simplex Virus Type-2 (HSV-2) is the primary cause of genital herpes and the most common cause of genital ulcer disease (GUD) worldwide.  There is little information on the prevalence of HSV-2 in Nigeria.

METHODOLOGY

Specimens were collected from 162 volunteers attending Jos University Teaching Hospital and tested for HSV-2 antibodies using HSV-2 Type specific IgG EIA test kit (Globalemed LLC Alexandria VA, USA). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13.0. P values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant number.

RESULTS

Out of the 162 individuals tested, 141 (87.0%) were HSV-2 positive. Infected individuals were more likely to be male than female (92.8% versus 86.4%; P > 0.05). There were high rates of infection in all age groups, and the prevalence increased with age. However, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HSV-2 prevalence was not significantly associated with increasing age, sex, marital status, occupation, educational status, and number of sex partners (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the potential public health impact of HSV-2 in Nigeria where anti-HSV-2 testing is not generally performed in all populations, especially considering the risk of neonatal transmission and the attendant complications at birth.