Journal of Medical Virology 79:1555–1561 (2007) Diverse Genotypes of Kaposi’s Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) Identified in Infant Blood Infections in African Childhood-KS and HIV/AIDS Endemic Region

or HHV-8) has been associated with several neoplasias, including childhood endemicKaposi’s sarcoma (KS). It is possible that strain genotypes could contribute to the differences in regional presentation (mainly sub-Saharan Africa), child-hood infection, lack of male sex bias, distinct disseminated forms and rapid fatality observed for childhood endemic KS. Early studies, at the advent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, identified only the K1-A5 genotype in childhood KS biop-sies as well as blood of a few HIV positive and negative febrile infants in Zambia, a highly endemic region. This current enlarged study analyses blood infections of 200 hospitalized infants (6–34 months age) with symptoms of fever as well as upper respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, rash or rhinitis. KSHV and HIV virae-mia and were prevalent in this group, 22 % and 39%, respectively. Multiple markers at both variable ends of the genome (K1, K12, and K14.1/K15) were examined, showing diverse previously adult-linked genotypes (K1 A2, A5, B, C3, D, with K12 B1 and B2 plus K14.1/K15 P or M) detected in both HIV positive and negative infants, demonstrating little restriction on KSHV genotypes for infant/childhood transmission in a childhood endemic KS endemic region. This supports the interpretation that the acquisi-tion of childhood KSHV infections and subse-quent development of KS are due to additional co-factors. J. Med. Virol. 79:1555–1561