Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 in Nigeria: a systematic review and meta-analyses

ABSTRACT

A source of comprehensive information on the prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) can help researchers and policymakers address HSV related burden in the society. At the moment, this is not readily available. This study aims to fill this gap by attempting to estimate the seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections in Nigeria on the basis of published data. A systematic review and meta-analysis including cross-sectional studies on HSV-1 and HSV-2 in Nigeria was conducted. Electronic databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, CENTRAL, African Journals Online (AJOL), ScienceDirect, WHO-Afro Library, WHO-IRIS and African Index Medicus were searched for English Language publications on HSV-1 and HSV-2. Seven relevant publications were identified. Seroprevalence measures of 3 and 23 for HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively, were extracted. The pooled mean seroprevalences for HSV-1 and HSV-2 were 74.0% (37.4–99.4%) and 63.4% (56.1–70.4%) respectively. The mean seroprevalence of HSV-1 was higher among females, 82.4% (n = 509, CI, 36.6–100.0%), than males, 54.5% (n = 198, CI, 47.6–61.4%). The mean seroprevalence of HSV-2 were 51.8% (n = 1414, CI: 39.4–64.0%) and 86.5% (n = 162, CI: 80.8–91.3%) among healthy and clinical populations, respectively. The study was limited by the paucity of quality studies, variations in diagnostic methods and high heterogeneity in seroprevalence estimates. In conclusion, the seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 remain high in Nigeria. Large and representative national epidemiological surveys covering all regions and specific groups are recommended.

KEYWORDS:

• Herpes simplex virus
• seroprevalence
• systematic review
• meta-analysis
• infection

Acknowledgments

The authors are very thankful to the College Station, Texas USA for sending us Stata 15 statistical software at no cost. We also wish to thank Prof. J. O. Ugwuanyi for proofreading the manuscript.

Author Contributions

Authors REE and IAC conceived the study. Authors REE and MSO carried out the initial search and review of literatures and ran the analysis. Author OINA served as a 3rd reviewer and performed an additional literature search. Author REE wrote the initial draft. Author IAC read the initial draft and provided general oversight of the study. All authors read and approved the final draft before submission.

Competing Interests

Authors declare no competing interests.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

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Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.