title: Identification of a highly divergent HIV type 2 and proposal for a change in HIV type 2 classification.
abstract: We report the complete genome sequence of a highly divergent strain of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2), 96FR12034, identified in France from a patient of West African origin. This lineage, H, represents only the third definitive instance of a monkey-to-human transfer of SIVsm that has given rise to pathogenic HIV-2. As the different "subtypes" of HIV-2 are analogous to the different groups of HIV-1 we propose that HIV-2 subtypes henceforth by renamed groups in agreement with the HIV Nomenclature Committee. The single-strain lineages C to G and the 96FR12034 lineage identified here should be considered only as putative groups until related strains are identified that confirm circulation of these viruses in the human population.
authors.affiliation: Virology Department, Hôpital Bichat, 75877 Paris 18, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Damond
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Worobey
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Campa
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Farfara
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colin
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matheron
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brun-Vézinet
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005602:France; D016679:Genome, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral