Mucosal shedding of human herpesvirus 8 in men [Pauk J, et al. NEJM 2000;343:1369]: This is another report from the Larry Corey group in Seattle regarding the herpesviruses. They evaluated patterns of shedding HHV-8 in gay men with no evidence of KS. PCR and RNA hybridization were used to detect HHV-8. The virus was detected in salivary samples from 30 of 50 men who were seropositive for HHV-8, and it was found in 1% of anal and genital samples. Risks for HHV-8 transmission among gay men who were seronegative for HHV-8 at baseline were deep kissing with an HIV-positive partner and use of amyl nitrite capsules or inhaled nitrites.
Comment: This study demonstrated that HHV-8 is found primarily in saliva, it was also found in relatively high concentrations with shedding on most days. The implication is that it is acquired primarily by oral-oral contact, although the assumption has been that it is a STD. This work adds to the confusion regarding the epidemiology of HHV-8, which shows a relatively high prevalence among gay men in America and Northern Europe. There are also substantial geographic differences with many regions in Italy and Africa showing high rates of infection for this virus, which is widely distributed in the population. It is important to note that safe sex practices seem unlikely to have an impact on transmission.
posted 11/17/2000