Is sexual transmission an important pattern for herpes simplex type 2 virus seroconversion in the Spanish general population?

Objective: To examine the type specific seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 infections, stratified by age and gender, and associated risk factors for HSV-2 seropositivity in Poland. Methods: 2257 serum samples of individuals from 15-65 years were randomly selected from serum banks in four different geographical regions of Poland, including the Zachodnio-pomorskie, Warmińsko-mazurskie, Lubelskie, and Mazowieckie districts. Type specific serum antibodies to HSV-1 and HSV-2 were detected using HerpeSelect IgG ELISA tests. Results: Overall prevalences of type specific HSV-1 and HSV-2 serum antibodies were 90.4% and 9.3%, respectively. Age standardised HSV-2 seroprevalence was higher in women (9.7%) than men (8.8%) (p = 0.06), and increased notably with age from 4% in 15-24 year olds to 12% in those aged 50-65 years. HSV-1 seroprevalence was consistently higher than HSV-2 seroprevalence in each specific age group, ranging from 74.5% in 15-24 year olds to 98.8% in 50-65 year olds. HSV-2 seroprevalence varied significantly by geographical region, with the highest prevalence in the Zachodnio-pomorskie district (12%). Significant multivariate risk factors for HSV-2 seropositivity included older age, female gender, and geographical place of residence. Conclusion: This large survey found a notably high seroprevalence of HSV-1, even among young female adolescents 15-19 years of age (80%). HSV-2 seropositivity was under 12% in all age groups surveyed in Poland, tending to be among the lowest overall HSV-2 seropositivity rates reported thus far in Europe.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Type specific seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 in four geographical regions of Poland

Smith

Rosińska

Trzcińska

et al. 2006

“…Only one study in Jordan reported higher prevalence in males 22 and another in Spain reported no difference by sex. 21 There are no reported HSV-2 studies in Costa Rican men and we had no concurrent information on partners' sexual behaviour.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A population based study of herpes simplex virus 2 seroprevalence in rural Costa Rica

Rodríguez

Castle

Smith

et al. 2003

Objectives: To determine seroprevalence and determinants of herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) seropositivity, in a random sample of a population based cohort of 10 049 women of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, using a highly sensitive and specific serological assay. Methods: Seroprevalence was determined by a type specific HSV-2 ELISA assay in an age stratified random sample of 1100 women. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for risk factors of seropositivity. Results: Overall age adjusted HSV-2 seroprevalence was 38.5% (95% CI, 37.5 to 39.5), and it was strongly associated with increasing age (p Trend,0.0001 ), both among monogamous women and women with multiple sexual partners. A greater number of lifetime sexual partners increased the risk of seropositivity, with a 28.2% (95% CI, 24.4 to 32.2) seroprevalence among monogamous women and 75% (95% CI, 65.6 to 83.0) seroprevalence for those with four or more partners (OR = 7.6 95% CI, 4.7 to 12.4 p Trend,0.0001 ). Barrier contraceptive use was negatively associated with HSV-2 seropositivity (OR 0.54, 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.94). Women with antibodies against HPV 16, 18, or 31 were 1.6 times more likely to be HSV-2 seropositive (OR 1.6, 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.1). Conclusions: HSV-2 infection is highly endemic in Guanacaste, even among lifetime monogamous women, suggesting a role of male behaviour in the transmission of the infection. Until vaccination against HSV-2 is available, education to prevent high risk sexual behaviour and the use of condoms appear as preventive measures against HSV-2.

“…In Spain, HSV-2 prevalence appeared low (2%-6%) in a large sample of male and female 14-17 year olds, 46 in men and women 15-45 years old in eight different geographic areas, 47 and in Madrid women. 48 In Italy, age specific HSV-2 prevalence was low (0.1%) in a national sample of young male draftees aged 18-25 years, [49.…”

Section: Genital Herpesmentioning

confidence: 92%

Recent trends in the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections in the European Union

Fenton¹

2004

281

183

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health problem in Europe. Their substantial morbidity, associated mortality, and disproportionate burden upon women, marginalised communities, and those with high risk sexual lifestyles 1 continue to drive their prioritisation in European public health and policy arenas.2 In many European Union (EU) countries, widescale behavioural modification in response to the emerging HIV/AIDS pandemic saw dramatic reductions in the incidence of many acute STIs in the late 1980s.3-6 However, these have not been maintained and many states are now observing increases in rates of diagnosed STIs. 4 In this article we review recent trends in the epidemiology of the major acute STIs in the EU and Norway, their key determinants, and opportunities for enhancing STI prevention interventions in the region. METHODSWe undertook a review of the published literature, STI surveillance reports, and ad hoc publications related to the distribution of STIs in the EU and Norway in order to describe recent trends in the epidemiology of major STIs in the region. Relevant publications were sought through computerised searches in PubMed from 1980 to 2002. Searches were not restricted by language. Internet searching was undertaken by visiting the websites of the national surveillance centres of all countries in the EU and where possible, collecting information on diagnoses of acute STIs. Where available, we obtained and analysed surveillance data for gonorrhoea, syphilis, and chlamydia for the 15 European countries provided by surveillance leads participating in the European Commission DG SANCO funded European STI Surveillance (ESSTI) Network. We also examined factors influencing the recent increases in STI rates and the contribution of different vulnerable populations to disease transmission. Finally, we accessed the grey literature in this area obtained through a network of STI physicians and epidemiologists. Conference abstracts and other unpublished manuscripts were excluded since the detailed information required was rarely available.