BACKGROUND Over 3500 HIV-positive women give birth annually in Ukraine, a setting with high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections. Herpes simplex virus Type 2 (HSV-2) co-infection may increase HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) risk. We explored factors associated with HSV-2 seropositivity among HIV-positive women in Ukraine, and its impact on HIV MTCT. METHODS Data on 1513 HIV-p...

The association between seropositivity to virus-like particles (VLP) of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16, 18, 31, 35, or 45 and subsequent cervical HPV infection was examined in 829 women with HIV and 413 risk-matched HIV-negative women. We found no statistically significant differences between HPV-seropositive and HPV-seronegative women in the risk of a new infection with the homologous HPV...

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present report was to observe the trend of seroprevalence rates of HIV seropositivity for routine services at Siriraj Hospital for 13 years. MATERIAL AND METHOD The prevalence rate of HIV seropositivity was analyzed in three groups of subjects: 1) patients who attended the hospital with HIV related diseases; 2) pregnant women at first visit to the antenatal care clini...

BACKGROUND Ethiopian immigration to Israel was initiated in 1981. Most immigrants were rural dwellers who migrated first to Addis Ababa or Gondar, where they waited for eligibility status from Israel to leave Ethiopia. Soon after arriving in Israel, all immigrants were offered screening tests for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the association of age, g...

BACKGROUND Up to 90% HIV-1 positive intravenous drug users (IDUs) are co-infected with HCV. Although best recognized for its function as a major co-receptor for cell entry of HIV, CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of HCV infection. Here, we investigated whether CCR5 haplotypes influence HIV-1 and HCV seropositivity among 373 Caucasian IDUs from Estonia....

OBJECTIVE To assess the predictors and prevalence of HIV infection among injection drug users in highly endemic regions along major drug trafficking routes in three Chinese provinces. METHODS We enrolled participants using community outreach and peer referrals. Questionnaire-based interviews provided demographic, drug use, and sexual behavior information. HIV was tested via ELISA and syphilis...

BACKGROUND There is a dearth of studies on HHV8-HIV co-infections from Nigeria, even as both infections have been shown to be endemic in Africa. This study examined the seroprevalence and determinants of HHV8 infections in adult Nigerians with and without HIV-infection. METHODS In 2007, a cross sectional study undertaken in a tertiary hospital in Zaria, northern Nigeria enrolled 71 HIV-1 posi...

INTRODUCTION While HIV/AIDS remains an important cause of death among people who inject drugs (PWID), the potential mortality burden attributable to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among this population is of increasing concern. Therefore, we sought to identify trends in and predictors of liver-related mortality among PWID. METHODS Data were derived from prospective cohorts of PWID in Vanco...

Background: Blood is a scarce, but lifesaving resource; it is also the most efficient vehicle for the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Hence there is a need for accurate screening of HIV among blood donors. The present study was designed to assess the seroprevalence of HIV, among the blood donors in a tertiary care hospital, Andhra Pradesh. Methods: Prospective study over a p...

Considering that little is known about the epidemiology of Neospora caninum infection in humans, particularly in populations with high Toxoplasma gondii infection rates, the present study aimed to investigate the presence of antibodies to N. caninum in T. gondii-seropositive and -seronegative individuals. A total of 256 serum samples divided into four groups (61 samples from human immunodeficie...