학술논문

Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 among the migrant workers in Qatar
Document Type
Survey
Source
Virology Journal. August 22, 2023, Vol. 20 Issue 1
Subject
Qatar
Language
English
ISSN
1743-422X
Abstract
Author(s): Gheyath K. Nasrallah[sup.1,2], Soha R. Dargham[sup.3,4], Duaa W. Al-Sadeq[sup.1], Fathima H. Amanullah[sup.1,2], Farah M. Shurrab[sup.1,2], Parveen B. Nizamuddin[sup.1,2], Hiam Chemaitelly[sup.3,4,5], Houssein H. Ayoub[sup.6], Sami Abdeen[sup.7], Ashraf Abdelkarim[sup.7], Faisal Daraan[sup.8], [...]
Background Limited data exists on herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) infections in migrant populations. This study investigated HSV-1 and HSV-2 seroprevalences and associations among craft and manual workers (CMWs) in Qatar who constitute 60% of Qatar's population. Methods A national population-based cross-sectional seroprevalence survey was conducted on the CMW population, all men, between July 26 and September 9, 2020. 2,612 sera were tested for anti-HSV-1 IgG antibodies using HerpeSelect 1 ELISA IgG kits and for anti-HSV-2 IgG antibodies using HerpeSelect 2 ELISA IgG kits (Focus Diagnostics, USA). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify associations with HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections. Results Serological testing identified 2,171 sera as positive, 403 as negative, and 38 as equivocal for HSV-1 antibodies, and 300 sera as positive, 2,250 as negative, and 62 as equivocal for HSV-2 antibodies. HSV-1 and HSV-2 seroprevalences among CMWs were estimated at 84.2% (95% CI 82.8-85.6%) and 11.4% (95% CI 10.1-12.6%), respectively. HSV-1 infection was associated with nationality, educational attainment, and occupation. HSV-2 infection was associated with age, nationality, and educational attainment. Conclusions Over 80% of CMWs are infected with HSV-1 and over 10% are infected with HSV-2. The findings highlight the need for sexual health programs to tackle sexually transmitted infections among the CMW population. Keywords: HSV-1, HSV-2, Prevalence, Genital herpes, Genital ulcer disease, Survey, Cross sectional study, Migrants, Qatar