AEGiS-13IAC: Human Herpes Virus type 8 (HHV8) and HIV in ante-natal clinic attendees in Senegal.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Human Herpes Virus type 8 (HHV8) and HIV in ante-natal clinic attendees in Senegal.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. WeOrA472)

Gaye Diallo A, Gueye Ndiaye A, Gessain A, Ndour Sarr A, Toure Kane NC, Toure AT, Dia MC, De The G, Mboup S
A. Gaye Diallo, Bacteriologie Virologie Laboratoire CHU le dantec, 30 Avenue Pasteur, BP 7325 Dakar, Senegal, Tel.: +221 822 59 19 / 821 64 20, Fax: +221 821 64 42, E-mail: virus@sonatel.senet.net

BACKGROUND: HHV8 is the virus associated with Kaposi sarcoma and this affection is rare in Senegal even among HIV infected patients. The aims of this study are to assess the presence of HHV8 and HIV in Senegal and to evaluate their prevalence in the pregnant women population.

METHOD: Study population: 407 ante-natal clinic attendees. The mean age was 26.57 years `13-45'. They were predominantly Senegalese (90%). ABI reagents were used to detect HHV8 antibodies by IFA. HIV antibodies were screened by ELISA and confirmed by western blot.

RESULTS: 58 of the 407 women were HHV8 seropositive (14.3%) and 2 were HIV2 seropositive (0.5%) but HHV8 seronegative. The mean age of HHV8 seropositives was 29.24 years `15-39'. 91.4% were Senegalese. 10.3% were not married and 89.6 were married among whom 34.6% were in polygamous marriages. 22.4% of HHV8 seropositives have never had children and 46.6% have had multiple children. However none of these epidemiological parameters are correlated to HHV8 seropositivity (p > 0.05). The majority came to term (74.1%) and had normal deliveries (72.4%). Among seropositives, 75.9% had live births, 8.6% had still births and 15.5% aborted ; abortions were associated with HHV8 seropositivity (p = 0.0097). Among live births, 68.9% had an Apgar score higher than 8/10 ; there was no significant difference between those born to seronegative or seropositive mothers (p = 0.64).

CONCLUSION: HHV8 prevalence is lower in Senegal than in other African nations, but higher than HIV prevalence. These low percentages may account for the rarity of Kaposi sarcoma but this hypothesis requires further investigation. This was a preliminary study and further studies must be performed among other target groups. Other studies must investigate alternative modes of transmission . Another interesting investigation would be to compare this virus to those present in areas where Kaposi sarcoma is endemic.

Keywords: AEGIS, Herpesvirus 8, Human, Sarcoma, Kaposi, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Senegal, Human, Female, Pregnancy, Child
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