PREVALENCE OF HUMAN-HERPES-VIRUS-7 IN MEX ICAN BLOOD-DONORS

The human herpes virus 7 (HHV-7) has been recently isolated from CD4 c ells of healthy persons. The present study describes the antibody prev alence of this virus in a healthy Mexican population. Two hundred bloo d samples from candidates for blood donation at the Hospital General d e Mexico were studied with the indirect immunofluorescence test (IFA) in HHV-7 infected SupT1 cells. The testing was done in the University of Cologne, Germany; 167 were males and 33 female; the donors came fro m 12 of the 31 states in the Mexican republican, predominantly from Me xico City (60.5%) and the State of Mexico (28%). Their mean age was 29 .2 years. All but three samples were positive to the HHV-7 (98.5% posi tivity). Nearly 85% had high titers (greater than or equal to 1:80). O ther serology testing in the samples revealed 1% positive tests to hep atitis B, 2% to syphilis, and 0.5% to brucella. Hepatitis C and the HI V test were negative in all. The high prevalence of HHV-7 in our donor population should be further studied in order to determine titers ind icative of an active infection and of their association with illnesses .