Persistently high prevalence of HPV16 and rising prevalence of non-16/18 HR-HPV genotypes in cervical precancer and cancer in Latvia in 2016-2024 shape the severity of cervical disease

Key Points

• Cervical disease severity correlates with specific hr-hpv loads and the number of hr-hpvs present, indicating a complex viral interaction.
• Hpv16 remains the most prevalent hr-hpv while other hr-hpv genotypes such as hpv66/45/39/31/33 are increasing in frequency.
• Assessment of viral load and genotyping is essential for understanding the worsening severity of cervical disease.
• Further epidemiological studies are necessary to analyze historical and contemporary samples for better insights.

Abstract