Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Genital Herpes: Synergy between Serology and Polymerase Chain Reaction in Laboratory Diagnosis among Pregnant Women Attending the Antenatal Clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa Nigeria

J. E. Egbagba, A. B. Abdu, M. A. Alex- Wele, A. O. Eguvbe

International STD Research & Reviews · pp. 31–38 · Published 30 Jan 2021

10.9734/ISRR/2021/v10i130121

Abstract

Introduction: Herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) is the main curse of Genital Herpes (GH) infection worldwide with developing countries having larger proportions. Little is known about its diagnosis using the synergy techniques of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for its accurate diagnosis. This study focuses on carrying out the synergy (concurrent) between serology and PCR techniques for diagnosing GH caused by HSV-2. Methods: A total of 388 pregnant women were sampled using a well-structured questionnaire, a self-collected vaginal swab for PCR shedding detection and 10 ml of blood collected for serological assay. Data were analyzed using statical packages for Social sciences. P value were kept at <0.05. Results: A total 85 (21.9%) of the 388 sampled women were positive for Herpes simplex type 2 by PCR shedding techniques. Majority of the samples 345 (88.9%) were positive to serology assay. 57 (16.5%) of all 345 seropositive respondent are also shedders of the virus by PCR assays, p <0.05. Conversely, 28 (65.1%) of all 43 seronegative patients were shedders of HSV-2. Conclusion: The synergistic technique of Serology and PCR should be considered incorporated as detection techniques for accurate diagnosis as this will assist in prompt management of genital herpes infection.

Genital herpes HSV-2 PCR serology pregnant woman.

References (30)

  1. 1 THE JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY [DOI]
  2. 2 Reactivation of Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection in Asymptomatic Seropositive Persons [DOI]
  3. 3 Genital Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus Among Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Persons With HSV-2 Infection [DOI]
  4. 4 Epidemiology of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in the developing world.
  5. 5 Diagnosing Herpesvirus Infections by Real-Time Amplification and Rapid Culture [DOI]
  6. 6 Diagnosis of genital herpes simplex virus infection in the clinical laboratory [DOI]
  7. 7 Current Concepts for Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Infection: Diagnostics and Pathogenesis of Genital Tract Shedding [DOI]
  8. 8 Fenner and White's Medical Virology [DOI]
  9. 9 Genital Herpes: Review of the Epidemic and Potential Use of Type-Specific Serology [DOI]
  10. 10 Increased Genital Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 in HIV-Seropositive Women [DOI]
  11. 11 Clinical Reactivation of Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Infection Decreases in Frequency over Time [DOI]
  12. 12 Detection of Herpes Simplex Virus DNA by Real-Time PCR [DOI]
  13. 13 Herpes simplex virus: the importance of asymptomatic shedding [DOI]
  14. 14 Epidemiology of genital herpes simplex virus infection in developed countries.
  15. 15 The Laboratory Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex Virus Infections [DOI]
  16. 16 Persistent Genital Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Shedding Years Following the First Clinical Episode [DOI]
  17. 17 The Diagnosis of Genital Herpes – Beyond Culture: An Evidence‐Based Guide for the Utilization of Polymerase Chain Reaction and Herpes Simplex Virus Type‐Specific Serology [DOI]
  18. 18 Treponema pallidum infection predicts sexually transmitted viral infections (hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus-2, and human immunodeficiency virus) among pregnant women from rural areas of Mwanza region, Tanzania [DOI]
  19. 19 Co-infection of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 and HIV Infections among Pregnant Women in Ibadan, Nigeria [DOI]
  20. 20 Patterns of herpes simplex virus shedding over 1 month and the impact of acyclovir and HIV in HSV-2-seropositive women in Tanzania [DOI]
  21. 21 Clinical Reactivation of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection in Seropositive Pregnant Women with No History of Genital Herpes [DOI]
  22. 22 Seropositivity and determinants of immunoglobulin-G (IgG) antibodies against Herpes simplex virus (HSV) types -1 and -2 in pregnant women in Port Harcourt, Nigeria [DOI]
  23. 23 Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 in Nigeria: a systematic review and meta-analyses [DOI]
  24. 24 Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Seroprevalence in Pregnant Women in Urmia, Northwest of Iran, during 2014-2015 [DOI]
  25. 25 Genital shedding of herpes simplex virus type 2 in childbearing-aged and pregnant women living in Gabon [DOI]
  26. 26 Herpes Simplex Infection During Pregnancy, Results of a Tertiary Referral Center in Turkey [DOI]
  27. 27 Self-collected genital swabs compared with cervicovaginal lavage for measuring HIV-1 and HSV-2 and the effect of acyclovir on viral shedding [DOI]
  28. 28 Comparative Performance of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2-Specific Serologic Assays from Meridian Diagnostics and MRL Diagnostics [DOI]
  29. 29 Seroprevalence of HSV-2 among Women of Reproductive Age in Zaria, Kaduna State [DOI]
  30. 30 Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology [DOI]

Cited by 2

Risk factors associated with sexually transmitted infections in Nigeria: a systematic review

Abel Onolunosen Abhadionmhen, Zakari Isiaka Osheku, Edobor Peter Kenneth Imarenezor · BMC Public Health · 2026

Showing 1 of 2 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.

Related research

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

30

Page views

0

PDF downloads

3

Outbound clicks

2

Citations

Views over time

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.