Prevalence of herpesviruses among combatants during the Russian-Ukrainian war

Abstract

The war in the Ukraine is an unprecedented stressor that has negative consequences for the health of the Ukrainian population. A significant number of Ukrainian soldiers suffers from clinical symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. It has been shown that changes in the immune regulation under the influence of stress are quite significant and can lead to health consequences, including the reactivation of latent infections, including herpesviruses. However, there is no reliable information on the possible consequences of a war on the spread and reactivation of herpesviruses such as HSV-1/2; VZV, CMV, EBV, and HHV-6