Incarcerated persons have high rates of infectious diseases. Few data on the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in prisoners are
available. This multi-center cross-sectional study enrolled 973 inmates from eight Italian prisons.
Demographic and behavioral data were collected using an anonymous standardized questionnaire and antibodies to HIV, HCV, HBV, HSV-2, and
HHV-8 were detected in a blood sample obtained from each person at the time of the enrollment in the study. Two hundred and two out of the 973 subjects (20.7%) had antibodies against HHV-8. HHV-8 seropositive subjects were more likely to be older than 30 years with a higher educational level. HHV-8 infection was associated significantly with HBV (P<0.001) and HSV-2 (P¼0.004) seropositivity and with previous imprisonments. Multivariate analysis showed that HHV-8 infection in Italian inmates was associated with HBV (P<0.001) and HSV-2 (P¼0.002) seropositivity otherwise among foreigners inmates HHV-8 was significantly associated with HBV infection (P¼0.05). One hundred and eighty-six (21.2%) prisoners had anti-HSV-2 antibodies. At multivariate analysis HSV-2-positivity was significantly associated with HIV (P<0.001) and HHV-8 infections (P¼0.003), whereas it was inversely associated with HCV infection (0.004).Arelatively high seroprevalence ofHHV-8 and HSV-2amongItalian prison inmates was found. The association of HHV-8 and HSV-2 infections suggest sexual transmission of these viruses among Italian prison inmates. J. Med.
Virol. 79:167–173, 2007. 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
L. Sarmati,1 S. Babudieri,2 B. Longo,3 G. Starnini,4 S. Carbonara,5 R. Monarca,6 A.R. Buonomini,1
L. Dori,1 G. Rezza,3 and M. Andreoni1* Gruppo di Lavoro Infettivologi Penitenziari (GLIP){
Author: Maria Grazia Floris
Medico chirurgo
