Abstract
Hefei, Anhui province, is one of the cities in the Yangtze River Delta, where many people migrate to Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. High migration also contributes to the HIV epidemic. This study explored the HIV prevalence in Hefei to provide a reference for other provinces and assist in the prevention and control of HIV in China. A total of 816 newly reported people with HIV in Hefei from 2017 to 2020 were recruited as subjects. HIV subtypes were identified by a phylogenetic tree. The most prevalent subtypes were CRF07_BC (41.4%), CRF01_AE (38.1%) and CRF55_01B (6.3%). Molecular networks were inferred using HIV-TRACE. The largest and most active transmission cluster was CRF55_01B in Hefei’s network. A Chinese national database (50,798 sequences) was also subjected to molecular network analysis to study the relationship between patients in Hefei and other provinces. CRF55_01B and CRF07_BC-N had higher clustered and interprovincial transmission rates in the national molecular network. People with HIV in Hefei mainly transmitted the disease within the province. Finally, we displayed the epidemic trend of HIV in Hefei in recent years with the dynamic change of effective reproductive number (Re). The weighted overall Re increased rapidly from 2012 to 2015, with a peak value of 3.20 (95% BCI, 2.18–3.85). After 2015, Re began to decline and remained stable at around 1.80. In addition, the Re of CRF55_01B was calculated to be between 2.0 and 4.0 in 2018 and 2019. More attention needs to be paid to the rapid spread of CRF55_01B and CRF07_BC-N strains among people with HIV and the high Re in Hefei. These data provide necessary support to guide the targeted prevention and control of HIV.
Highlights
As of 2020, there were 37.7 million people living with HIV worldwide [1]
The results provide a basis for accurate prevention and control of HIV transmission and a reference for research in other provinces and cities
CRF07_BC subtype presented two distinct clusters in the phylogenetic tree: CRF07_BCN, the subcluster that mainly spread among men who have sex with men (MSM); CRF07_BCO, the subcluster that mainly spread in heterosexuals and injecting drug users (IDUs) [13]
Summary
As of 2020, there were 37.7 million people living with HIV worldwide [1]. The prevalence and transmission of HIV remains a huge challenge to public health in China. There has been many reports on HIV in key endemic areas, but HIV research in characteristically large cities in China is very important and needed. Sexual transmission has become the main transmission route of people with HIV in Anhui province [3]. The capital of Anhui province, is a dual-node city under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It is an important central city and comprehensive transportation hub in eastern China. The current HIV transmission route mainly involves homosexual transmission in Hefei. It has high population mobility and floating populations may promote the transmission and prevalence of HIV.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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.
