Association of genital shedding of herpes simplex virus type 2 and HIV-1 among sex workers in rural Zimbabwe

Abstract

Rate and quantity of HIV-1 genital shedding do not appear to be altered by presence of HSV-2 genital shedding.

Effect of HSV‐2 Serostatus on Acquisition of HIV by Young Men: Results of a Longitudinal Study in Orange Farm, South Africa

“…Such association may be due to the fact that the viruses are both sexually transmitted and must share risk factors. It may also be due to the fact that one virus increases the risk of transmission of the other [2,[11][12][13][14].…”

“…Genital herpes is most frequently caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Findings of clinical, biological, and epidemiological studies support the hypothesis that HSV-2 increases the risk of HIV-1 acquisition 2-4-fold [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] and increases the risk of HIV-1 transmission [2,[11][12][13][14]. A recent meta-analysis found that, in fixed-effects analyses, the presence of HSV-2 shedding significantly affected HIV shedding in genital tract specimens (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0 -2.1) [15].…”

Roles of Clinical and Subclinical Reactivated Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV‐1)–Induced Immunosuppression on Genital and Plasma HIV‐1 Levels

“…Cross-sectional studies of women in Mombasa [4] and Bangui [5] have shown positive correlations between the quantities of genital HIV-1 RNA and genital HSV-2 DNA in persons coinfected with these viruses, whereas a Zimbabwean study did not find any association [6]. The high variability of HIV-1 and HSV-2 genital shedding, both within and between individuals, has been widely reported in large studies from the United States that involved daily sampling [7][8][9], highlighting the need for a longitudinal design with multiple measurement points in order to best describe HIV-1 and HSV-2 genital shedding and identify their correlates.…”

Herpes simplex virus 2 infection: molecular association with HIV and novel microbicides to prevent disease

“…Moreover, it has been evidenced that HSV-2 significantly increases the dissemination of HIV in the genitalia of those co-infected with these viruses [113]. It is important to note that the relationship between HIV and HSV-2 is reciprocal, as infection with HIV also significantly increases the probability of acquiring HSV-2, and that reactivation with HSV-2 is more frequent in HIVpositive patients [114][115][116]. Noteworthy, the relationship between HSV-2 and HIV is synergic and goes beyond risk factors associated with the acquisition of these viruses.…”