Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 among people living with HIV in Mbeya, Tanzania

Abstract Background Despite the significant decline in the prevalence of HIV in Tanzania, the prevalence rates in the Mbeya, Iringa, and Njombe regions are higher than the national average and have remained stable for years. The current stable HIV prevalence may be driven by factors such as a high incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and high-risk behaviours. In sub-Saharan Africa, it has previously been observed that up to 50% of HIV cases were attributed to herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) among low-risk populations. Because the proportion of sexually transmitted HSV-1 is rising and HSV-1 tends to cause the shedding of oropharyngeal mucosal ulcers, it is essential to study the interaction between HSV-1 and HIV infections. Methods We conducted a study in the Mbeya region using the archived blood sera of participants from the recently completed EU-funded EMINI project. A specially designed questionnaire was used to obtain the social and demographic characteristics of the study participants in the database. We tested archived participants’ sera for herpes simplex virus type 1 using Virotech HSV-1 (gG1) IgG ELISA (Enzygnost, Behring, Germany). Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression models were used to identify factors associated with HSV-1. Results A total of 640 adults were randomly recruited after stratification by HIV status, age, and sex. The overall seroprevalence of HSV-1 in the study population was 92.1%. The extrapolated prevalence estimate of herpes simplex virus type 1 in the general population was 95.0% (96.0% in males versus 94.0% in females). Males and females were equally affected by HSV-1. HSV-1 was less prevalent in HIV-positive individuals than in HIV-negative individuals.Conclusion People living with HIV were less likely to be HSV-1 seropositive. Further cohort studies can evaluate whether herpes simplex virus type 1 can reduce the incidence of HIV infection.