Introduction. Dental practitioners have a close relationship with many patients and are at risk of cross-infection. Therefore, HSV-1 infection is a potential occupational hazard for dental workers. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of HSV1 and associated risk factors in dental students of Birjand in 2018-2019. Materials and methods. This cross-sectional study was done on 100 dental students, selected by random sampling. After taking their written consent, they were tested for antibodies to herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-l), by taking a peripheral blood sample (5 ml) and an anti-virus antibody, and the Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (1.25(OH)2D3) levels were measured using an Anti-Herpes-1 IgG kit with ELISA, by a pathologist. Logistic regression and chi-square were applied to investigate the relationship between the variables of interest, at a significance level of 5%. Results and discussion. 41% of the subjects had contacts with the HSV1 virus and were carriers of antibodies. The mean serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 levels were 23.22±13.09. The prevalence of HSV1 antibody at pre-clinical and clinical levels was higher than in literature. Also, the results of logistic regression showed a significant association between HSV1 and history of herpes (OR=2.37, p<0.001), educational level (OR=1.48, p=0.04) and deficiency of vitamin D3 (OR=1.33, p= 0.02). Conclusions. Patients with a previous recurrent history of herpes labialis (RHL) seem to be at higher risk. Dentists should be aware of this potentially severe post-extraction complication, even if occupationally acquired HSV has been less reported, due to the personal protective barriers used.
Keywords:- cross-infection
- dental student
- herpes simplex virus infections