Abstract
Background. In Bulgaria the second most predominant HIV-1 strain after subtype B is CRF01_AE. Material and Methods. 270 HIV-1 polymerase (pol) CRF01_AE sequences collected between 1995–2019 were analyzed with the phylogenetic approach. To identify transmission clusters, we used two different genetic distance thresholds (d), i. e. 1.5% and 0.5%. Results. Genetic distance d=1.5% defined more distant infections in a huge cluster of 154 sequences composed mostly of people, who inject drugs (PWID), whereas when (d) was reduced to 0.5%, we determined more recent transmissions and the large cluster disintegrated into smaller ones. Different drug resistance mutations (DRM) were detected in patient’s HIV-1 pol sequences and were most common in male heterosexual (HET) single sequences. Conclusions. Our data showed repeated introduction of CRF01_AE in Bulgaria and rapid spread of the infection among PWID groups. Molecular monitoring of the epidemic among PWID communities could help reduce the spread of HIV-1 infection.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
