title: Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 in two Saudi families.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2), the second retrovirus that causes the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in humans, is limited in its distribution to West Africa. We report cases in two Saudi families with HIV-2 infection and AIDS, resulting in death of the index cases-the husbands, while the wives and a daughter were maintained on antiretroviral therapy. When HIV viral loads were undetectable in initial assays, further testing confirmed the presence of HIV-2. In the first family, the 30-year-old wife was found to be HIV-positive after the diagnosis in her 30-year-old husband, who later died with AIDS. In the second family, HIV-2 infection was diagnosed in the 50-year-old wife and 18-year-old daughter of a man who had died of AIDS at the age of 48 years. Recognizing HIV-2 infection is essential for appropriate workup, assessment, therapy and care of the pregnant woman.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Reem S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Almaghrabi
authors.forename: Batool
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Thawadi
authors.forename: Magid Abdel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Halim
authors.forename: Abdulrahman A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alrajhi
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D018454:Spouses; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents