Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtypes in Djibouti

• Published in: Archives de l'Institut Pasteur de Tunis Vol. 89; no. 1-4; pp. 33 - 37
• Main Authors: Abar, A Elmi, Jlizi, A, Darar, H Youssouf, Ben Nasr, M, Abid, S, Kacem, M Ali Ben Hadj, Slim, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: Tunisia 2012
• Subjects: Adult; Djibouti; Female; Genotype; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - virology; HIV-1 - classification; HIV-1 - genetics; Humans; Male; Djibouti
• ISSN: 0020-2509

The authors had for aim to study the distribution of HIV-1 subtypes in a cohort of HIV positive patients in the hospital General Peltier of Djibouti. An epidemiological study was made on 40 HIV-1 positive patients followed up in the Infectious Diseases Department over three months. All patients sample were subtyped by genotyping. Thirty-five patients (15 men and 20 women) were found infected by an HIV-1 strain belonging to the M group. Genotyping revealed that - 66% of samples were infected with subtype C, 20% with CRF02_AG, 8.5% with B, 2.9% with CRF02_AG/C and 2.9% with K/C. In fact, Subtype C prevalence has been described in the Horn of Africa and a similar prevalence was previously reported in Djibouti. However our study describes the subtype B in Djibouti for the first time. It is the predominant subtype in the Western world. The detection of CRF02_AG strains indicates that they are still circulating in Djibouti, the only country in East Africa in which this recombinant virus was found. CRF02_AG recombinant isolates were primarily described in West and Central Africa. The presence of this viral heterogeneity, probably coming from the mixing of populations in Djibouti, which is an essential economic and geographical crossroads, incites us to vigilance in the surveillance of this infection.