Incidence of Co-Infections of HIV, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 and Syphilis in a Large Cohort of Men Who Have Sex with Men in Beijing, China

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 1; p. e0147422
• Main Authors: Li, Dongliang, Yang, Xueying, Zhang, Zheng, Wang, Zixin, Qi, Xiao, Ruan, Yuhua, Zhou, Yunhua, Li, Chunrong, Luo, Fengji, Lau, Joseph T F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 28.01.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Beijing - epidemiology; Biology and Life Sciences; Cohort Studies; Coinfection - epidemiology; Coinfection - virology; Correlation analysis; Demographic aspects; Disease prevention; Epidemics; Gays; Health aspects; Herpes Genitalis - epidemiology; Herpes Genitalis - virology; Herpes simplex; Herpesvirus 2, Human; Herpesvirus infections; HIV; HIV infections; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1; Homosexuality, Male; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Incidence; Infections; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medicine and Health Sciences; People and Places; Risk factors; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Studies; Syphilis; Syphilis - epidemiology; Syphilis - virology; Viruses; Beijing; China; Hong Kong; Beijing China
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147422

The HIV-epidemic among MSM in China has worsened. In this key population, prevalence of HSV-2 and syphilis infection and co-infection with HIV is high. A longitudinal study was conducted (n = 962) in Beijing, China, with three overlapping cohorts (n = 857, 757 and 760) consisting of MSM that were free from pairs of infections of concern (i.e. HIV-HSV-2, HIV-syphilis, HSV-2-syphilis) at baseline to estimate incidence of HIV, HSV-2, syphilis, and those of co-infection. The incidence of HIV, HSV-2 and syphilis in the overall cohort was 3.90 (95% CI = 2.37, 5.43), 7.87 (95% CI = 5.74, 10.00) and 6.06 (95% CI = 4.18, 7.94) cases per 100 person-years (PYs), respectively. The incidence of HIV-HSV-2, HIV-Syphilis and HSV-2-Syphilis co-infections was 0.30 (95% CI = 0.29, 0.88), 1.02 (95% CI = 0.13, 2.17) and 1.41 (95% CI: 0.04, 2.78) cases per 100 PYs, respectively, in the three sub-cohorts constructed for this study. The incidence of HIV, HSV-2 and syphilis was very high and those of their co-infections were relatively high. Such co-infections have negative impacts on the HIV/STI epidemics. Prevention practices need to take such co-infections into account.