seroepidemiological study of human herpes viruses (ebv, cmv, vzv, hsv-1&2) among age groups in ahvaz, iran between 2011 - 2023

Background: herpesviruses are widespread pathogens worldwide, often establishing lifelong infections in humans. however, seroprevalence data remain scarce for certain populations. to address this gap, a study was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence of human herpesviruses, including epstein-barr virus (ebv), cytomegalovirus (cmv), varicella zoster virus (vzv), and herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (hsv-1 2), among different age groups in ahvaz, iran. despite previous reports, detailed data on multiple herpesvirus infections are lacking in this region. objectives: this study aimed to investigate the 11-year prevalence of human herpesviruses (ebv, cmv, vzv, hsv-1 2) among various age groups. methods: a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 14,126 serum samples from individuals aged 1 to 88 years. elisa methods were used to test for the presence of the viruses. results: the seroprevalence varied significantly by age and gender. the highest seroprevalence was observed for cmv (igg) at 29.2%, while the lowest was for hsv-1 2 (igm) at 0.8%. the highest seroprevalence was recorded in the 31 - 40 age group, whereas the lowest was in the 11 - 20 age group. gender analysis revealed that seropositivity was higher in females (56.3%) compared to males (43.7%), with cmv igg being the most common seropositive marker in both sexes. conclusions: these findings underscore the potential for implementing targeted screening and vaccination programs for specific high-risk age groups. the data provide valuable epidemiological insights into the transmission of herpesviruses in southwestern iran, emphasizing the need for enhanced prevention measures and further research into herpesvirus-related diseases.