Serological and molecular evidence that human herpesvirus 8 is endemic among Amerindians in French Guiana

J Infect Dis. 2005 Nov 1;192(9):1525-9. doi: 10.1086/491744. Epub 2005 Sep 27.

Abstract

We evaluated the presence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection among groups of Amerindians in French Guiana. The overall prevalence of antibodies against lytic HHV-8 antigens was 23.0% (180/781), increasing from 18.4% in children <6 years old to approximately 30% in older persons (>45 years). Seroprevalence was higher in Amerindians living in remote localities than it was in those living in the coastal region. Analysis of a 725-base pair fragment of the K1 gene amplified from DNA from a Wayampi Amerindian showed that the virus belonged to molecular subtype E, which has hitherto been found in only a few Amerindians in Brazil and Ecuador.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / immunology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • Endemic Diseases*
  • French Guiana / epidemiology
  • Genes, Viral
  • Herpesviridae Infections / blood
  • Herpesviridae Infections / epidemiology*
  • Herpesviridae Infections / ethnology*
  • Herpesviridae Infections / virology
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human / classification*
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human / genetics
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • Indians, North American*
  • Infant
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Repressor Proteins / immunology
  • Rural Population
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • DNA, Viral
  • K1 protein, Human herpesvirus 8
  • K8 protein, Human herpesvirus 8
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Viral Proteins