Risk of Transfusion-Associated Transmission of Human Herpesvirus 8

Abstract
Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8), also known as Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus, causes Kaposi's sarcoma ( 1 ) and is associated with body cavity-based lymphomas and multicentric Castleman's disease ( 2 , 3 ). HHV8 is spread sexually ( 4 , 5 ), but other routes of transmission probably exist because, in some cases, infection has been shown to be acquired in childhood in HHV8-endemic areas, such as Mediterranean Europe and sub-Saharan Africa ( 6 - 8 ).