title: Hiv-2 molecular epidemiology.
abstract: The Simian Immunodeficiency Virus of sooty mangabeys (SIVsmm) has been revealed to be at the origin of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 2 (HIV-2) in humans, firstly detected from two Portuguese patients in 1986. HIV-2 is mainly restricted to West Africa where it infects up to 1 to 2 million people. HIV-2 is also present in Europe, mainly Portugal and France, India and United States of America. Two major HIV-2 groups, groups A and B, were generated by two independent transmission events involving infected sooty mangabeys from the Taï forest in Ivory Coast. Seven other HIV-2 groups have been described, but each has only been identified in one patient. To date, no subtypes have been formally described but some preliminary data suggest that HIV-2 group A may be divided in two distinct subtypes with distinct geographical origins. To date only two recombinant forms have been described: one circulating recombinant form (CRF01_AB) and one unique recombinant form. In this review, we focused mainly on molecular data available and their insights about HIV-2 origins, diversity, drug resistance and global epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, F-75018 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, IAME, UMR 1137, Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-75018 Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat, Laboratoire de Virologie, F-75018 Paris, France. Electronic address: benoit.visseaux@aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Visseaux
authors.affiliation: INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, F-75018 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, IAME, UMR 1137, Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-75018 Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat, Laboratoire de Virologie, F-75018 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Damond
authors.affiliation: INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, F-75018 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, IAME, UMR 1137, Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-75018 Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat, Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, F-75018 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matheron
authors.affiliation: INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, F-75018 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, IAME, UMR 1137, Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-75018 Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat, Laboratoire de Virologie, F-75018 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Descamps
authors.affiliation: INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, F-75018 Paris, France; Université Paris Diderot, IAME, UMR 1137, Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-75018 Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat, Laboratoire de Virologie, F-75018 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Charpentier
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology
keywords: Epidemiology; Genetic diversity; HIV-2; West Africa