title: HIV genetic diversity in Cameroon: possible public health importance.
abstract: To monitor the evolving molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of HIV in a country where many distinct strains cocirculate, we performed genetic analyses on sequences from 75 HIV-1-infected Cameroonians: 74 were group M and 1 was group O. Of the group M sequences, 74 were classified into the following env gp41 subtypes or recombinant forms: CRF02 (n = 54), CRF09 (n = 2), CRF13 (n = 2), A (n = 5), CRF11 (n = 4), CRF06 (n = 1), G (n = 2), F2 (n = 2), and E (n = 1, CRF01), and 1 was a JG recombinant. Comparison of phylogenies for 70 matched gp41 and protease sequences showed inconsistent classifications for 18 (26%) strains. Our data show that recombination is rampant in Cameroon with recombinant viruses continuing to recombine, adding to the complexity of circulating HIV strains. This expanding genetic diversity raises public health concerns for the ability of diagnostic assays to detect these unique HIV mosaic variants and for the development of broadly effective HIV vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: Clement B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Ndongmo
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pieniazek
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holberg-Petersen
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holm-Hansen
authors.forename: Leopold
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zekeng
authors.forename: Stig L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Jeansson
authors.forename: Lazare
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaptue
authors.forename: Marcia L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kalish
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000235:genetics; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41