Purpose: This study aimed to estimate herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) seroprevalence and its association with
HIV, HBV, HCV, HTLV-1&2 and syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Ouagadougou, Burkina
Faso, West Africa.
Materials and methods: We screened MSM sera for HSV-2 antibodies. A total of 329 sera were collected from an
HIV and syphilis behavioral and biological cross-sectional survey conducted among MSM in Ouagadougou from
January to April 2013. Serum samples were tested using Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) for the
detection of IgG antibodies to HSV-2. Also, antibodies to HTLV-1&2, HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies were
screened by ELISA. Laboratory assays were performed according to manufacturers’ instructions at the Biomedical
Research Laboratory at the “Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante” (IRSS) in Burkina Faso.
Results: The seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection among MSM was 14.3%(95% CI: 10.6–18.1), with disparities
according to age and occupation. HSV-2 seroprevalence was high among MSM who were seropositive for HIV
(40% versus 13.9%), for syphilis (42.9% versus 13.3%), for HCV (32.5% versus 11.7%) and for HTLV-1&2 (38.5%
versus 12.9%) compared to people seronegative for these pathogens. Multivariate analysis showed that HIVpositive (ORa ¼ 5.34, p ¼ 0.027), anti-HCV-positive (ORa ¼ 4.44, p ¼ 0.001), and HTLV-1&2 positive (aOR
¼ 4.11, p ¼ 0.046) were associated with HSV-2 infection among MSM. However, no significant statistical association between HSV-2 and syphilis was found.
Conclusion: HSV-2 seroprevalence among MSM in Burkina Faso is relatively high. Positive associations between
sexual transmitted infections including HIV with HSV-2 suggest that HSV-2 infection's prevention should be
strengthened through HIV transmission control programs.

MSM, HSV-2, HIV, STIs, HTLV-1&2