title: Potential for HIV transmission through unsafe injections.
abstract: We tested for HIV in discarded needles and syringe washes from 191 HIV-infected patients receiving injections in rural Cameroon. HIV-1 RNA was amplified from 34 of 103 intravenous injection syringes and two of 88 intramuscular injection syringes. All 36 strains were HIV-1 group M. The majority belonged to the circulating recombinant form CRF02 (IbNg). Our data support a role for unsafe injections in the spread of HIV-1 in Africa, in contrast to recent studies.
authors.affiliation: Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Apetrei
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gautam
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Engle
authors.forename: Anne Katherine
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Wales
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eyong
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enyong
authors.forename: Martyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sama
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Drucker
authors.forename: Preston A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Marx
mesh_terms: D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics; D015750:Genes, gag / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000009:adverse effects; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D009339:Needles / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012423:Rural Health; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013594:Syringes / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral