Lack of evidence for frequent heterosexual transmission of human herpesvirus 8 in Zimbabwe
Campbell, T.B.; Borok, M.; Ndemera, B.; Fiorillo, S.; White, I.E.; Zhang, X.-q.; Machekano, R.N.; Katzenstein, D.; Gwanzura, L.
Clinical Infectious Diseases An Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 48(11): 1601-1608
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 1537-6591 PMID: 19400749 DOI: 10.1086/598978Document Number: 206011
There is conflicting evidence about the contribution of heterosexual transmission to the spread of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) in southern Africa. This study evaluated the hypothesis that HHV-8 infection is associated with risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and other sexually transmitted infections among Zimbabwean men. HHV-8 seroprevalence was determined for 2750 participants in the Zimbabwe AIDS Prevention Project cohort of male factory workers in Harare, Zimbabwe. Potential associations of HHV-8 antibody detection with risk factors for HIV-1 infection were examined by univariate analysis. Variables with P < .1 in the univariate analysis were included in a multivariate logistic regression model. HHV-8 seroprevalence was also determined among 297 heterosexual couples. Prevalence of HHV-8, HIV-1, and HHV-8 and HIV-1 coinfection was 28.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 26.8%-30.2%), 19.5% (95% CI, 18.0%-20.9%), and 6.5% (95% CI, 5.6%-7.5%), respectively. Detection of HHV-8 antibodies was independently associated with older age and HIV-1 infection but not with number of recent sex partners, marital status, education, condom use, prior sexually transmitted infections, payment for sex, chronic hepatitis B infection, or incident HIV-1 infection. HHV-8 seroprevalence was 31.7% (95% CI, 26.3-37.0) among wives in the couples tested, but HHV-8 infection of wives was not associated with HHV-8 infection of husbands (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.62-1.88; P = .8). HHV-8 and HIV-1 infection did not have common sexual risk factors among urban Zimbabwean men. Sexual transmission does not explain the high prevalence of HHV-8 in this population.