Lack of evidence for frequent heterosexual transmission of human herpesvirus 8 in Zimbabwe.
BACKGROUND
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.


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Campbell
Thomas B
TB
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, USA. Thomas.Campbell@ucdenver.edu
Borok
Margaret
M
Ndemera
Buxton
B
Fiorillo
Suzanne
S
White
Irene E
IE
Zhang
Xing-quan
XQ
Machekano
Rhoderick N
RN
Katzenstein
David
D
Gwanzura
Lovemore
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology