Detection of transmission clusters of HIV-1 subtype C over a 21-year period in Cape Town, South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Despite recent breakthroughs in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic within South Africa, the transmission of the virus continues at alarmingly high rates. It is possible, with the use of phylogenetic methods, to uncover transmission events of HIV amongst local communities in order to identify factors that may contribute to the sustained transmission of the virus. The aim of this study was to uncover transmission events of HIV amongst the infected population of Cape Town.

Methods and results

We analysed gag p24 and RT-pol sequences which were generated from samples spanning over 21-years with advanced phylogenetic techniques. We identified two transmission clusters over a 21-year period amongst randomly sampled patients from Cape Town and the surrounding area

SUBMITTER: Wilkinson E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4214637 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature