An HIV type 1 epidemic among injecting drug users in the former Soviet Union caused by a homogeneous subtype A strain.
Epidemiological data have demonstrated rapid growth of HIV-1 infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) in the Ukraine and Russia, during 1996. Here we describe the results of genetic analysis of isolates derived from 12 HIV-1-infected IDUs in different sites of Russia and the Ukraine. The blood samples were taken within a 1- to 2-month period after the first HIV-1-positive test. The results of the heteroduplex mobility assay as well as gag/env phylogenetic analysis reveal that all sequences belong to gag/env genetic subtype A. Moreover, interpatient genetic distances between the nucleotide sequences encompassing the C2-V3, the V4-V5, and p17-encoding regions within this group were low (the average means were 0.9, 1.3, and 0.4%, respectively). These data show a marked homogeneity of HIV-1, probably spreading during primary infection. It is possible that the current epidemic of subtype A HIV-1 among IDUs in the former Soviet Union is caused by a point source exposure.
Bobkov
A
A
The D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology, Moscow, Russia.
Cheingsong-Popov
R
R
Selimova
L
L
Ladnaya
N
N
Kazennova
E
E
Kravchenko
A
A
Fedotov
E
E
Saukhat
S
S
Zverev
S
S
Pokrovsky
V
V
Weber
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D014455:Ukraine / Q000453:epidemiology
D015686:Gene Products, env; D015683:Gene Products, gag