Journal article
HIV Type 1 in Fiji Is Caused by Subtypes C and B
CE Ryan, M Kama, A Darcy, E Aleksic, T Mirza, A Chaudhary, RB Oelrichs, GD Rogers, SM Crowe
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses | MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC | Published : 2009
Abstract
The HIV epidemic in Fiji remains largely uncharacterized. By February 2009, there were 294 confirmed cases; the majority occurred among the 20- to 39-year old age group and resulted from heterosexual contact. There are currently no published data concerning HIV subtypes in Fiji. In this study, venous blood samples were collected as dried blood spots from 35 HIV-positive individuals in Fiji. HIV-1 subtype was determined for 27 (77%) samples and the presence of four different subtypes, with multiple introductions of two, was demonstrated. Subtype distribution was as follows: 16 (59%) were subtype C, 9 (33%) were subtype B, 1 (4%) was subtype A, and 1 (4%) was subtype G. Phylogenetic analysis s..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the participation of the individuals who were involved in the study and the staff at the STI clinics involved. We thank Dr. Anna Hearps, Vicki Edouard, and Pauline Steele for discussions regarding the study. We also acknowledge the involvement of the many laboratory assistants at Mataika House. This study was funded by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. R. O. is a staff member of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions presented in this paper do no necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.