Seroepidemiology of Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 & 2 among HIV-Infected Patients Attending Clinic in Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, Nigeria

Abstract

Disease progression can be accelerated in patients who have HSV-1, HSV-2, or both. In this study, the seroepidemiology of HSV-1 and HSV-2 among HIV patients in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria was investigated. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-positive patients attending the Heart-to-Heart unit of FUTHO between March and November 2025. Four hundred blood samples were reconfirmed for retroviral reactions using the Uni-Gold kits and screened for HSV types 1 and 2 using HSV-1/2 RDT kits. The CD4+ count was determined using the Human CD4+ ELISA kits. The socio-demographic data and risk factors were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS computer software, vs. 28. While all the blood samples were positive for HIV, the seroprevalence of HSV-1, HSV-2, and HSV-1 & 2 were 61%, 18.25%, and 17.5%, respectively. The results showed 58% (232/400) HSV-1 IgG, 3% (12/400) HSV-1 IgM, 16% (64/400) HSV-2 IgG, and 2.25% (9/400) IgM seropositive, respectively. The mean age of HIV patients screened for HSV was 40.12 years, with the highest prevalence recorded among people whose age was 41-50 years. Among patients on antiretroviral therapy for more than 2 years, 61%, 18.6%, and 17.9% were HSV-1, HSV-2, and HSV 1/2 positive, respectively, and those with CD4+ counts ≤ 500 cells/mm2 (HSV-1: 61.2%, HSV-2: 17.1%, HSV-1/2: 17.1%) exhibited high prevalence. Similar results were also observed in those with several sex partners (HSV-1:56.7%, HSV-2: 22.9%, HSV-1/2: 21.9%) and those who do not use condoms (HSV-1: 69.9%, HSV-2: 22.3%, HSV-1/2: 22.3%). There were more IgG seropositive samples than IgM for HSV-1 and 2. Community sensitization, with a strong emphasis on lifestyle changes, is recommended.