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PERSPECTIVE article

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Parasite and Host
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1471411

Herpes simplex virus type 2 in sub-Saharan Africa and the potential impact of helminth immune modulation

Provisionally accepted
Roxanne Pillay Roxanne Pillay 1,2,3*Pragalathan Naidoo Pragalathan Naidoo 2,3Zilungile L Mkhize-Kwitshana Zilungile L Mkhize-Kwitshana 2,3
  • 1 Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Umlazi, South Africa
  • 2 Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • 3 Division of Research Capacity Development, Tygerberg, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and helminth infections are among the most widespread infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Helminths are known to modulate host immune responses and consequently impact the severity and outcomes of unrelated diseases, including allergies, autoimmune conditions, and infectious diseases. In this way, helminths may modulate essential immune responses against HSV-2 during co-infection and may alter susceptibility to and pathology of HSV-2. However, the epidemiology of STH/HSV-2 coinfections is understudied, and whether helminths influence the host immune response to HSV-2 is not well understood. In this article, we briefly examine the current knowledge on helminth immune modulation of important pathogens that are endemic to SSA, arguing that it is important to explore HSV-2 and helminth co-infections to elucidate potential interactions between HSV-2 and helminths. This is particularly relevant in SSA, where both pathogens are highly prevalent.

    Keywords: sub-Saharan Africa, HSV-2, Helminths, Co-infection, HSV-2 outcomes, helminth immune modulation

    Received: 27 Jul 2024; Accepted: 07 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Pillay, Naidoo and Mkhize-Kwitshana. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Roxanne Pillay, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Umlazi, South Africa

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.