Prevalence and incidence of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection among male Zimbabwean factory workers.
Stored sera from a cohort of 2397 male factory workers in Harare, Zimbabwe, were screened for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)-specific antibodies, to estimate the prevalence and incidence of genital herpes infection and to assess the relation between HSV-2 and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition. The prevalence of HSV-2 at enrollment was 39.8%. Correlates of HSV-2 seropositivity were HIV seropositivity, marital status, history of sexually transmitted disease (STD), older age, and higher income. The incidence of HSV-2 seroconversion during follow-up was 6.2/100 person-years. Correlates of HSV-2 seroconversion were enrollment while HIV-positive or seroconversion during follow-up, reported genital ulcer, history of STD, and number of sex partners. No evidence was found that HSV-2 infection was more likely to precede HIV or vice versa. HSV-2 and HIV seropositivity are strong markers for high-risk sexual behavior. Improved interventions targeted to populations in which the incidence of either viral infection is high are needed.
McFarland
W
W
Director, HIV Seroepidemiology Unit, San Francisco Dept. of Public Health, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA. Willi_McFarland@dph.sf.ca.us
Gwanzura
L
L
Bassett
M T
MT
Machekano
R
R
Latif
A S
AS
Ley
C
C
Parsonnet
J
J
Burke
R L
RL
Katzenstein
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies