Two Independent HIV Epidemics in Saint Petersburg, Russia Revealed by Molecular Epidemiology

• DOI: 10.1089/aid.2014.0150
• Publication Date: 2014-11-23T13:51:18Z
• Authors: Elena Dukhovlinova; Alexey Masharsky; Olga Toussova; Sergei Verevochkin; Tatiana Solovyeva; Maria Meringof; Elijah Paintsil; Edward White; Russell Barbour; Robert Heimer; Andrei Kozlov
• Keywords: Molecular Epidemiology

The HIV epidemic in Russia, one of the world's fastest growing, has been concentrated mostly among people who inject drugs (PWID). We sought to explore epidemiology St. Petersburg by sampling from highest risk groups PWID and men have sex with (MSM) use viral sequencing data better understand nature city's epidemic. Serological testing confirmed an prevalence excess 40%. All but 1 110 whose blood samples were tested for genetic diversity infected subtype A virus, specifically AFSU strain. remaining person was a CRF-06cpx recombinant. Analysis pairwise distance all studied revealed average 3.1% sequence divergence, suggesting clonal introduction strain and/or constraints on divergence. less than 10% MSM. 17 sequences HIV-infected MSM found be clade B virus much higher 15.7%. These findings suggest two independent epidemics little overlap between at-risk populations, which will require different prevention approaches.