Seroprevalence of human herpesvirus-8 in blood donors from different geographical regions of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile

• Published in: Journal of medical virology Vol. 72; no. 4; pp. 661 - 667
• Main Authors: Pérez, Celeste, Tous, Mónica, Gallego, Sandra, Zala, Norma, Rabinovich, Oscar, Garbiero, Susana, Martínez, María José, Cunha, Andrèa Mendonça Gusmão, Camino, Sofía, Cámara, Alicia, Costa, Sandra Cecília Botelho, Larrondo, Milton, Francalancia, Verónica, Landreau, Fernando, Bartomioli, Miguel Angel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.04.2004; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Argentina - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Donors; Brazil - epidemiology; Chile - epidemiology; Epidemiology; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Herpesviridae Infections - epidemiology; Herpesviridae Infections - immunology; Herpesvirus 8, Human - immunology; HHV-8; Human herpesvirus 8; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Risk Factors; Seroepidemiologic Studies; serology; South America; Viral diseases; Virology; South America; Brazil; Argentina; Chile; America; Gammaherpesvirinae; Virus; South America; Human herpesvirus 8; Prevalence; Herpesviridae; HHV-8; Serology; Epidemiology; Blood donor
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.20029

Human herpesvirus‐8 (HHV‐8) causes Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and lymphoproliferative disorders in both HIV‐infected and uninfected patients. HHV‐8 has a worldwide occurrence but infection rates vary according to a combination of geographic and behavioral risks. The main transmission route seems to be sexual, nevertheless, nasal secretions, saliva, blood, and organ graft have been proposed. HHV‐8 was postulated as a new infectious agent for screening in blood donors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of antibodies against HHV‐8 antigens in blood donors of South America. Serum samples from 2,470 blood donors from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile corresponding to five geographic regions were studied by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Seroprevalence rate was 3.7% (92/2,470; 95% CI 2.9–4.5) in the entire blood donor population distributed as follows: Argentina, 4.0% (Buenos Aires city, 4.3%; Bahia Blanca, 2.4%; and Córdoba, 4.0%), Campinas (Brazil), 2.8%; and Santiago de Chile, 3.0%. There was no difference (P > 0.05) between men and women or age related, except in Brazil where positive cases were 30–49‐year‐old males. The present study, which includes different geographical areas of multiple countries from South America, has not been done before. The results show similar prevalence rates among the studied zones corresponding to low‐prevalence regions. South America is a large sub‐continent with a wide spectrum of population and geographical characteristics, thus, more HHV‐8 prevalence studies should be necessary to establish possible regional differences. J. Med. Virol. 72:661–667, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.