Antibodies to Herpesvirus hominis types 1 and 2 in malnourished Nigerian children.
Antibodies to Herpesvirus hominis (HVH) types 1 and 2 were determined by a micro-neutralisation method in 37 children with kwashiorkor, 16 with marasmus, and in 64 well-nourished control children. All the children were aged between 1 and 4 years. The prevalence of antibodies was similar in the two sexes and at different ages. HVH-1 antibodies were present in 51% of children with kwashiorkor, in 44% with marasmus, and in 26% of well-nourished children, reflecting the very poor socioeconomic conditions of malnourished children. HVH-2 antibodies too were present in about 19% of children with kwashiorkor, and in 2% of well-nourished controls; they were absent in marasmic children. It is suggested that HVH-2 infection in malnourished children is facilitated by the communal use of fomites--such as bedclothes and underwear.
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007732:Kwashiorkor / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000382:microbiology*; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral