Seroprevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus type-2 and risk factors among HIV infected and uninfected individuals in North India

Background Opportunistic infections (OIs) continue to be one of the most universal complications of HIV infected patients. In recent years, an interesting epidemiological association has emerged between herpes simplex virus type- 2 (HSV-2) and HIV infection. HSV-2 seroprevalence rates are higher in HIV seropositive individuals than in those who are HIV seronegative. Method A prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in North India, to determine the seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection among HIV infected and uninfected individuals, and to assess their risk behaviour. The study group comprised 240 subjects: Group A (Cases) – 120 HIV seropositive clients/patients. Group B (Controls) – 120 age/sex matched HIV seronegative clients/patients. HIV testing was carried out as per National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) guidelines using E/R (ELISA/Rapid) tests. HSV-2 IgM and IgG antibody detection was carried out using HSV-2 IgM and IgG ELISA based kits. Results Only one subject in Group A tested HSV-2 IgM seropositive, whereas all Group B subjects were HSV-2 IgM seronegative. The number of HSV-2 IgG seropositive subjects in Group A was significantly higher (p