Prevalence of HHV-8 Infections Associated with HIV, HBV and HCV in Pregnant Women in Burkina Faso

We analyzed the prevalence of Human Herpes Virus-8 (HHV-8), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infections among pregnant women in Burkina Faso, to estimate the seroprevalence of HHV-8 infection in this sub-Saharan country and to evaluate the co-infection rates for these viruses. Sera collected from pregnant women (n = 1420) were assayed to determine HIV prevalence. Subsequently, (n = 429) were tested to detect HHV-8, HCV and HBV infections. 108/1420 (7.61%) subjects were found HIV seropositive and the risk of being infected increases with age. Among the 429 women screened, 49 were HHV-8 infected (11.4%), 26 were seropositive for HCV (6.1%) and 40 were HBsAg positive (9.3%). Co-infection rates among HIV infected individuals were: 16/108 HHV-8 positive (14.8%), 14/108 HBV (12.9%) HBsAg positive, 8/108 (7.4%) HCV positive. Prevalence of HHV-8 infection in the analyzed population of Burkina Faso is lower than that found in other regions of Central Africa and this is in keeping with the low incidence of Kaposi`s sarcoma observed in this country. Moreover, this research enabled us to estimate the prevalence of the co-infections of the HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C within our group of study. Considering only the three types of infections: HHV-8, HCV and HBV without taking into account the HIV, only 75.06% (322/429) of these women do not have any viral infection. This remark is very significant and it must be taken in consideration in the hospitals, at the time of the blood transfusions in emergency.