Transmission of human herpesvirus 8: An update

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: human herpesvirus 8 is associated with neoplastic diseases in the immunocompromised host, including kaposi's sarcoma, multicentric castleman disease and primary effusion lymphoma. acquisition and control of human herpesvirus 8 infection have not yet been fully elucidated. this review focuses on the most recent findings on human herpesvirus 8 transmission. RECENT FINDINGS: Horizontal transmission by saliva appears the most common route not only in families in endemic regions, but also among high-risk groups in western countries. vertical, sexual, and blood and transplant-related transmission, however, remain of significant concern worldwide. novel approaches to standardize and optimize the assessment of human herpesvirus 8 infection have been reported. new insights on the host immune cell mechanisms devoted to the control of human herpesvirus 8 infection have also been presented. SUMMARY: the increasing knowledge about the routes of human herpesvirus 8 transmission, which appear now more similar to those of other more ubiquitous human herpesviruses (i.e. Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus), the growing efforts in improving laboratory diagnosis and the caution in the research of new biological associations are the major recent findings. they constitute a fundamental background for directing more appropriate future research and achieving more stringent evidence useful for the control of human herpesvirus 8 spread and for the management of human herpesvirus 8-related diseases.