[Comparative study of the prevalence of Herpesviridae in an African population and a European population].

We have looked for long-term antibodies to Herpesviridae (HSV, VZV, CMV, EBV) in an African population (suburban area of Dakar, Senegal, West Africa) and in a European population (urban area of Bordeaux, France) in order to determine the prevalence of these viruses. The studied sera have been dispatched into 5 age-groups: 6 months to 4 years, 5 years to 9 years, 10 years to 14 years, 15 years to 44 years and greater than 45 years. We note that primary infection with Herpesviridae occurs sooner in life in Africa and that the prevalence rates of these viruses are higher in Africa with the exception of EBV, the prevalence of which is almost identical within the fifth age-group of the African and European populations. The prevalence rates of each individual virus are in agreement with previous studies except for VZV which we describe as the least prevalent virus of the family. The interest of this work is a simultaneous comparison of the prevalence of all viruses of the family Herpesviridae within two different populations.