title: Clinical experience of AIDS in relation to HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection in a rural hospital in Ivory Coast, West Africa.
abstract: A dramatic rise in AIDS cases in a rural hospital 60 km west of Abidjan is described. Out of 212 adult cases diagnosed between January and November 1987 as having AIDS, using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria defined in Bangui, 128 (60%) had antibodies to HIV-1 only, 61 (29%) had antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2, 15 (7%) had antibodies to HIV-2 only and eight (4%) had no detectable antibodies to HIVs. These results, taken together with those of Ouattara et al. showing that both retroviruses have a similar seroprevalence in the general rural and urban populations, suggest that HIV-2 may have a lower physiopathological potential than HIV-1. This suggestion is supported by a 6-month follow-up of 60 AIDS cases, but only longer follow-up of cohorts of patients and healthy subjects with antibodies to one of the two viruses will allow definitive conclusions.
authors.affiliation: Protestant Hospital, Dabou, Ivory Coast.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gody
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ouattara
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Thé
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015497:HIV-1; D015498:HIV-2; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population