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Geographic Heterogeneity of Prevalence of the Human Herpesvirus 8 in Sub-Saharan Africa: Clues About Etiology

  1. Author:
    Pfeiffer, R. M.
    Wheeler, W. A.
    Mbisa, G.
    Whitby, D.
    Goedert, J. J.
    De The, G.
    Mbulaiteye, S. M.

  2. Author Address

    [Pfeiffer, Ruth M.] NCI, Div Canc Epidemiol & Genet, NIH, HHS, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA. [Wheeler, William A.] Informat Management Serv Inc, Rockville, MD USA. [Mbisa, Georgina; Whitby, Denise] SAIC Frederick Inc, NCI Frederick, AIDS & Canc Virus Program, Frederick, MD USA. [De The, Guy] Inst Pasteur, Paris, France.;Pfeiffer, RM, NCI, Div Canc Epidemiol & Genet, NIH, HHS, 6120 Execut Blvd,EPS RM 8030, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA.;pfeiffer@mail.nih.gov
    1. Year: 2010
    2. Date: Dec
  2. Journal: Annals of Epidemiology
    1. 20
    2. 12
    3. Pages: 958-963
  4. Type of Article: Article
  5. ISSN: 1047-2797
  1. Abstract:

    PURPOSE: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8, or Kaposi sarcoma [KS]-associated herpesvirus, KSHV) is a necessary but insufficient cause of KS, as KS develops in few HHV-8-infected persons. In sub-Saharan Africa, marked differences in the geographic distribution of HHV-8 and KS suggest that environmental cofactors influence HHV-8 transmission, control, and progression to KS. However, a direct comparison of HHV-8 prevalence estimates is complicated because studies used different serologic assays and analytic methods. We assessed HHV-8 seropositivity in several African countries with heterogeneous environments and varying KS incidence using a unified approach. METHODS: HHV-8 antibodies were measured among 3196 adults (aged 20+ years) and 2404 children (aged < 20 years) from five studies in four sub-Saharan countries in Africa. Serum samples were tested by the same laboratory using K8.1 and orf73 enzyme immunoassays. RESULTS: Children's HHV-8-seropositivity ranged from 18.1% in Kampala, Uganda, to 33.8% in North Mara, Tanzania, increasing steeply with age in all populations. Among adults, HHV-8-seropositivity ranged from 23.5% in Nigeria to 70.6% in rural West Nile, Uganda. It was higher in males and rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that geographical exposures, gender, age, and factors correlated with rural residence impact HHV-8 seropositivity in sub-Saharan Africa. Ann Epidemiol 2010;20:958-963. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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External Sources

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  2. DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2010.07.098
  3. View record in Web of Science®
  4. WOS: 000284669000012

Library Notes

  1. Fiscal Year: FY2010-2011
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