Seroepidemiology and Molecular Epidemiology of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Among Jewish Population Groups in Israel

The crude prevalence rate of KSHV among the Jewish population in Israel is 9.9%. Important routes of KSHV transmission in the families studied are spouse to spouse and mother to child. The presence of KSHV in Jews in Israel of all ethnic origins and their high incidence of reported Kaposi's sarcoma suggest that KSHV was introduced into the Jewish population prior to the major Diaspora.