Seroprevalence and Co-Infection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Among Pregnant Women in Lokoja, North-Central Nigeria.
BACKGROUND
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is normally associated with orofacial (orolabial) infections and encephalitis, whereas HSV-2 usually causes genital infections and can be transmitted from infected mothers to neonates. The evidence suggesting that HSV is facilitating the spread of the global human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and the risk posed by these synergies to neonates in developing countries informed this study.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the seroprevalence and co-infection of HIV and HSV, as well as their associated risk factors, in Lokoja, Nigeria.


METHODS
This was a hospital-based cross-sectional, prospective study, which was carried out among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at the federal medical centre in Lokoja, Nigeria. sociodemographic characteristics and HIV-HSV status were determined by the use of a structured questionnaire and immunoassay kits, respectively. All data were analyzed using Stata statistical software (version 12), and the level of significance was determined to be P < 0.05 using the chi-square test.


RESULTS
Of the 250 pregnant women screened for HIV and HSV, 154 (61.6%) were in the 2nd trimester of gestation, and all of the co-infected respondents were in their 2nd trimester. Only six (2.4%) of the respondents tested positive for HIV, with all six (100%) showing positivity for HSV so the co-infection rate was six (2.4%). Co-infection was found to occur between the ages of 15 and 35 years, while higher age groups did not show any co-infection. Parity, level of education, and history of painful genital ulcers had no significant association with co-infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Advocacy and publicity to raise awareness of the potential public health impact of HSV and HIV co-infection in Nigeria, where anti-HSV testing is not generally performed in all populations, is therefore recommended.
Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Olatunji Matthew
OM
Kolawole
Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Oluwatomi Olufunke
OO
Amuda
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Nigeria.
Charles
C
Nzurumike
Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Muhammed Mustapha
MM
Suleiman
Infectious Diseases and Environmental Health Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Jeremiah
J
Ikhevha Ogah
Co-infection; HIV; HSV; Lokoja; Pregnant Women