title: HSV oropharyngeal shedding among HIV-infected children in Tanzania.
abstract: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) oral shedding has not been studied among HIV-positive children in Africa. We sought to evaluate longitudinal oral HSV reactivation in HIV-positive and -negative children. Twenty HIV-positive antiretroviral-naive and 10 HIV-negative children aged 3-12 years in Tanzania were followed prospectively for 14 days. Oral swabs were collected daily and submitted for HSV DNA PCR analysis. Clinical data were collected via chart review and daily diaries. HSV DNA was detected in 10 (50%) of HIV-positive and 4 (40%) of HIV-negative children. Children who shed HSV had virus detected in a median of 21.4% of samples; shedding was intermittent. Median CD4 count among HIV-infected children was 667 cells/µL in those with positive HSV DNA and 886 cells/µL in those who were negative (p = 0.6). Of the HIV-positive children reporting prior sores, five (83%) had positive HSV swabs, whereas the one HIV-negative child with prior sores did not have a PCR-positive swab. HSV is detected frequently in children with and without HIV. HIV-infected children reporting oral sores have a high rate of HSV detection. Given the proven strong interactions between HIV and HSV, further study of co-infection with these viruses is warranted in children.
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA richard.a.zuckerman@hitchcock.org.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
authors.affiliation: DarDar Pediatric Program, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manji
authors.affiliation: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
authors.forename: Mecky
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matee
authors.affiliation: DarDar Pediatric Program, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naburi
authors.affiliation: DarDar Pediatric Program, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
authors.forename: Jema
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bisimba
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wieland-Alter
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Faith
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA DarDar Programs, Lebanon, NH, USA.
authors.forename: C Fordham
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: von Reyn
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA DarDar Pediatric Program, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palumbo
mesh_terms: D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D060085:Coinfection; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000821:virology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014775:Virus Activation; D017201:Virus Shedding
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: AIDS; HIV; HSV; Herpes simplex virus; PCR; children; orolabial; oropharynx; paediatric; reactivation; viral shedding