Human immunodeficiency virus in Uzbekistan: epidemiological and genetic analyses.
This study investigates the molecular epidemiology of HIV in Uzbekistan--a former Soviet Union (FSU) country located in central Asia. A total of 18,910,370 subjects were involved in an HIV serological examination through a population survey conducted in 1987-2002. Rapid changes in epidemiological dynamics and transmission modes have been observed since 1999: incidence rose from 25 newly HIV-infected subjects per year to more than 100 new cases per month within the first half of 2002, and the rate of intravenous drug use (IVDU)-associated HIV infection increased to 75% per year during the same period. Thirty HIV-1 strains, isolated from specimens obtained in 1999-2000, were directly sequenced in the env region. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a relationship to genotype A in 56.7%, and to 03_CRFAB in 13.3%; both variants have been previously reported in the FSU. The majority (85.7%) of these strains were isolated from IVDUs. The demographic history of the most prevalent HIV strain in Uzbekistan was inferred from reconstructed molecular phylogenies; exponential growth of the viral population size was thus observed to occur after the mid-1990s. In summary, detectable HIV seroprevalence remains low in the general population of Uzbekistan. However, the current study demonstrates a substantially increasing number of new infections, in association with IVDU, and an exponentially growing effective population size of the IVDU-associated HIV strain.
Kurbanov
Fuat
F
Department of Clinical Molecular Informative Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
Kondo
Makiko
M
Tanaka
Yasuhito
Y
Zalalieva
Mariam
M
Giasova
Guzal
G
Shima
Takako
T
Jounai
Nao
N
Yuldasheva
Nadira
N
Ruzibakiev
Ruslan
R
Mizokami
Masashi
M
Imai
Mitsunobu
M
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D013587:Syphilis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014610:Uzbekistan / Q000453:epidemiology