Seroprevalence and characterisation of herpes simplex virus from human immunodeficiency virus in samples collected from two provinces in South Africa: a retrospective study.

Background: Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are highly pervasive and show a strong synergistic interaction with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). High prevalence of HSV type 1 (HSV-1) has been reported in Africa with a prevalence rate of 20-80% in women and 10-50% in men. Studies on the prevalence of HSV in South Africa are few considering the rate of HIV infection in the country. Our focus was to determine the molecular prevalence of HSV-DNA in HIV-1 sera. Methods: In total, 44 convenience samples were screened for HSV and HIV-1 using the highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA positive samples were characterized using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to confirm the positivity of both viruses and to further differentiate HSV into HSV-1 and -2. Thereafter, the samples were analysed for relatedness using phylogenetic analysis. Results: Of 44 samples, 36 (81.8%) were positive for HIV-1, while 35 (79.5%) were positive for HSV when screened with ELISA kits. The results of PCR with type specific primers showed that 4/35 (11.4%) samples were specific for HSV-1 while 30/35 (85.7%) were specific for HSV-2. Statistical analysis performed using chi-squared goodness-of-fit test showed that there is a significant relationship between HSV-2 and HIV-1 transmission. Conclusions: High prevalence of HSV-2 recorded in HIV-1 sera corroborate with similar studies conducted within different cohorts in the continent. SPSS Pearson's chi-squared test established that there is a significant relationship between HSV-2 and HIV-1 transmission.