title: Epidemiology of HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in selected African and Asian populations.
abstract: 401 sera from patients of a rural hospital in Zimbabwe (1987), 211 South African sera (1982/83), as well as 460 sera from four Katmandu hospitals (1985) were tested for HIV-1 antibodies. The sera from Zimbabwe and Nepal were additionally tested for anti-HIV-2 using a panel of different tests, for hepatitis B markers, and partially for antibodies against other viral, bacterial, and protozoal antigens. Detailed clinical and sociodemographic data were taken from the Zimbabwe and Katmandu patients. The prevalence of HIV-1 antibodies in the Zimbabwe study population was 3.2%. All infections were found in the age group 17 to 30 years (n = 254). The epidemiological situation was entirely different from that of HBV (hepatitis B virus). No serum could be confirmed to be anti-HIV-2-positive, but a definite diagnosis is still difficult to establish. Regular town contacts may be considered a possible risk factor. Antibodies against HIV-1 could not be detected in the South African and Asian sera. The seropositivity for anti-HBc in Katmandu (14%) and the prevalence of HBsAg (1.1%) was much lower than reported from other Asian countries.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Virologie, Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tondorf
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siebolds
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kruppenbacher
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shrestha
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mauff
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gürtler
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Eggers
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013019:South Africa; D014505:Urban Population; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens