{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T23:40:18Z","timestamp":1788910818166,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,3]],"date-time":"2022-10-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1664755200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Colin Cormie Grant"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), the causative agent of Kaposi\u2019s sarcoma, multicentric Castleman\u2019s disease and primary effusion lymphoma, predominantly manifests in immunocompromised individuals. However, infection in immunocompetent individuals does occur. The prevalence of HHV-8 exposure in blood donors from non-endemic countries ranges between 1.2% and 7.3%. Nothing was known about the prevalence in Australian blood donors. Therefore, this study investigated the active and cumulative exposure of HHV-8 in this cohort. Plasma samples (n = 480) were collected from eastern Australian blood donors and were tested for HHV-8 DNA by qPCR, and for HHV-8 antibodies by two different ELISAs. Samples initially positive on either ELISA were retested in duplicate on both, and on a mock-coated ELISA. Any samples positive two or three out of the three times tested on at least one ELISA, and repeat negative on the mock-coated ELISA, were assigned as repeat positive. None of the 480 samples tested contained HHV-8 DNA. Serological testing revealed 28 samples (5.83%; 95% CI: 3.74\u20137.93%) had antibodies to HHV-8. There was no difference (p &gt; 0.05) in seropositivity between sex or with increasing age. This is the first study to show serological evidence of cumulative HHV-8 exposure and no HHV-8 DNAemia within a select blood donor population in Australia. Our molecular and serological data is consistent with published results for blood donors residing in HHV-8 non-endemic countries, which shows the prevalence to be very low.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v14102185","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,12]],"date-time":"2022-10-12T02:10:27Z","timestamp":1665540627000},"page":"2185","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Human Herpesvirus 8 in Australia: DNAemia and Cumulative Exposure in Blood Donors"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"David J.","family":"Speicher","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Basis of Disease Research Program, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia"},{"name":"Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada"},{"name":"Novometrix Research Inc., Moffat, ON L0P 1J0, Canada"},{"name":"Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Redeemer University, Ancaster, ON L9K 1J4, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9080-2223","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jesse J.","family":"Fryk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia"},{"name":"Centre for Health Analytics, Melbourne Children\u2019s Campus, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Victoria","family":"Kashchuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Basis of Disease Research Program, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Helen M.","family":"Faddy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia"},{"name":"School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, The University of the Sunshine Coast, Petrie, QLD 4502, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5866-262X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Newell W.","family":"Johnson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Basis of Disease Research Program, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1865","DOI":"10.1126\/science.7997879","article-title":"Identification of herpesvirus-like DNA sequences in AIDS-associated Kaposi\u2019s sarcoma","volume":"266","author":"Chang","year":"1994","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1276","DOI":"10.1182\/blood.V86.4.1276.bloodjournal8641276","article-title":"Kaposi\u2019s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-like DNA sequences in multicentric Castleman\u2019s disease","volume":"86","author":"Soulier","year":"1995","journal-title":"Blood"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132","DOI":"10.1159\/000097460","article-title":"Comparison of human herpes virus 8 related primary effusion lymphoma with human herpes virus 8 unrelated primary effusion lymphoma-like lymphoma on the basis of HIV: Report of 2 cases and review of 212 cases in the literature","volume":"117","author":"Kobayashi","year":"2007","journal-title":"Acta Haematol."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1186\/1743-422X-2-78","article-title":"Human herpesvirus 8\u2014A novel human pathogen","volume":"2","author":"Edelman","year":"2005","journal-title":"Virol. 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