Herpes simplex virus type 2 is the common cause of genital ulcer disease worldwide. Genital herpes infection is a major concern in pregnancy due to the risk of neonatal transmission. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from August 2016 to March 2017 in some hospitals and health centers to assess the seroprevalence and risk factors of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Dhamar city, Yemen. After taking written consent, socio-demographic, behavioral and obstetric history along with blood samples were collected from 200 pregnant women using a pre-structured questionnaire. Sera were analyzed for HSV-2 specific IgG using Electro-Chemiluminescence Immunoassay (ECLIA) method. Results: The overall seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection was 6 % (12/200) among pregnant women in Dhamar city. Levels of education and some obstetrical history such as numbers previous abortion (P=0.03), stillbirth (P=0.001). Although the study showed, there are significant differences in some symptoms, such as itching (P=0.02) and inflammation during urination (P=0.03). Conclusion: Overall, the seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection among pregnant women in Dhamar city is low. There is a critical need to adopt screening of HSV-2 into the antenatal profile tests. There is also need for more health education of this virus infection, methods of transmission, associated risk factors, and effective prevention and control strategies.
Seroprevalence and risk factors of herpes simplex virus type-2 infection among pregnant women in Northeast India
