title: Identification of a new HIV Type 1 circulating recombinant form (CRF38_BF1) in Uruguay.
abstract: Recombination has been shown to be an important force in HIV-1 evolution. Recombination contributes to an increase in genetic variation and hinders vaccine design efforts. Several molecular epidemiology studies in South America described the circulation of subtypes B, F, and C as well as several B/F1 recombinants. This study performed by nucleotide sequencing in at least two genes of 89 samples from Uruguay has shown a complex HIV-1 epidemic characterized by the cocirculation of subtype B, and subtype C strains, together with an important group of BF1 recombinant viruses, including isolates similar to CRF12_BF. In addition we identified a new circulating recombinant form, designated CRF38_BF(1), which was dominant in the recombinant virus group.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Virología Molecular, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ruchansky
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.forename: José C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Russi
authors.forename: Juan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Arbiza
authors.forename: Cecilio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lopez-Galindez