Seroprevalence of Human Herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) among Children Attending an Emergency Room in South-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Summary: The seroprevalence of Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) was studied in 56 children aged two to 14 years. Subjects were children seen consecutively in the Children Emergency Room of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital in January 2000. Sera from the children were screened for antibodies to the small capsid related protein encoded by ORF 65 (Lytic antigen) by the ELISA technique and Latency Associated Nuclear Antigen (LANA) by the immunoflourescent assay. Of the 56 children, 42 (76.9 per cent) had antibodies to at least, one of the antigens. The rate of infection correlated positively with age (r= 0.45; p<0.002), with a double peak of 90 per cent and 85 per cent at ages five to seven and 11-14 years, respectively. Infection was also highest in children from low socio-economic background. It is concluded that the prevalence of HHV-8 is high among children in this environment, sexual route of transmission is unlikely, and that low socio-economic status, and possibly crowding, are important parameters associated with the infection. The role of droplets in the transmission of HHV-8 should be investigated.