A new CRF01_AE/B recombinant structure of HIV type 1 found in Heilongjiang province, China

Abstract

The HIV-1 epidemic in China has demonstrated both a complicated diversity and geographic characteristics. The second National HIV Molecular Epidemiology Survey revealed that HIV-1 subtypes A B C CRF01_AE CRF-BC and other unusual subtypes have been found in China. HIV-1 CRF_BC is the main epidemic component (50.2%) and subtype B (31.66%) and CRF01_AE (15.54%) take second and third places respectively (http://shgy.jhgl.org/shownews.asp?newsid=893). Heilongjiang province is located in the northeast of China neighbored with the far eastern part of the Russian Federation. Since the first AIDS case was officially reported in 1993 the spread of HIV/AIDS in Heilongjiang province has been comparatively slow. By the end of 2006 385 HIV-1-infected individuals with 106 AIDS cases have been reported (www.hlj.gov.cn). To clarify the molecular epidemiology and the genetic diversity of HIV-1 in Heilongjiang province we analyzed the sequence features of the gag pol and env gene regions of HIV-1 isolatescirculating locally. (excerpt)