Crabtree, Kay L., PhD, RN
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Browsing Crabtree, Kay L., PhD, RN by Author "Mitchell, Charles D."
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Item Risk factors for early childhood infection of human herpesvirus-8 in Zambian children: The role of early childhood feeding practices(American Association for Cancer Research, 2014-02) Crabtree, Kay L.; Wojcicki, Janet M.; Minhas, Veenu; Smith, David R.; Kankasa, Chipepo; Mitchell, Charles D.; Wood, CharlesBACKGROUND: Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) infection in early childhood is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa with prevalence increasing throughout childhood. Specific routes of transmission have not been clearly delineated, though HHV-8 is present in high concentrations in saliva. METHODS: To understand the horizontal transmission of HHV-8 within households to children, we enrolled for cross-sectional analysis, 251 households including 254 children, age two and under, in Lusaka, Zambia. For all children, plasma was screened for HHV-8 and HIV type I (HIV-1) and health and behavioral questionnaires were completed. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess independent factors for HHV-8 infection in children. RESULTS: Risk factors for HHV-8 infection included increasing number of HHV-8-positive household members [OR = 2.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.9-3.3; P < 0.01] and having a primary caregiver who tested the temperature of food with their tongue before feeding the child (OR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.93-3.30; P =0.01). Breastfeeding was protective against infection with HHV-8 for children (OR= 0.3; 95% CI, 0.16-0.72; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that exposure to HHV-8 in the household increases risk for early childhood infection, with specific feeding behaviors likely playing a role in transmission. IMPACT: Interventions to protect children from infection should emphasize the possibility of infection through sharing of foods.