Prevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 and 2 in pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia in Bandar Abbas using Multiplex PCR

Herpes simplex virus is a very common cause of sexually transmitted diseases and can cause serious harmful effects in neonates infected in prenatal stage. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate the prevalence of Type 1 and Type 2 herpes viruses in pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia in Bandar Abbas using Multiplex PCR. This descriptive and cross-sectional conducted on 110 pregnant women referred to laboratory of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital in Bandar Abbas. In this study, 5 ml of blood from each pregnant women was taken and transferred to the lab for microbiological testing. After DNA extraction, replication was performed using PCR method. Variables such as age, pregnancy status, and so on were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, and standard deviation). The mean age of the subjects was 29.19 years. In total, 10 cases had type 1 and 3 had type 2 herpes virus infection. In no case, both types of the virus was detected. The results of this study showed that the prevalence of herpes virus in the subjects was 11.81. Considering the increasing trend of high-risk behaviors and sexually transmitted diseases such as genital herpes in the community, education, rising awareness, and support of pregnant women and the preparation of a clinical and laboratory screening program is recommended for prevention of such diseases.