Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 infections in Nigeria

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) types 1 and 2 infections in Nigeria was estimated from 3854 serum samples collected at 21 locations from 1985 to 1990. Seventy-eight samples (2.0%) were reactive for HIV-1 and 49 (1.3%) for HIV-2 antibodies; 5 samples were reactive for both viruses. The prevalence of HIV-1 and -2 infections, respectively, was highest among 60 female prostitutes, with 10% and 6.7% positive. For other groups the respective rates of positivity were 4.1% and 3.4% in 610 patients with sexually transmitted diseases, 3.6% and 1.4% in 140 tuberculosis patients, 1.6% and 0.6% of 1253 other medical patients, and 1.2% and 0.9% of 1640 volunteer blood donors. Of 153 health care workers, 1.3% were positive for HIV-1 only. The age group from 20 to 29 years had the highest prevalences of HIV-1 (3.3%) and -2 (2.2%). In Nigeria, antibody prevalence for both viruses appears to have increased > 10-fold between 1986 and 1990.