BMC Infectious Diseases
Volume 14, Issue 1, 2014

Diverse forms of HIV-1 among Burmese long-distance truck drivers imply their contribution to HIV-1 cross-border transmission (Article) (Open Access)

Zhou Y.-H. , Liang Y.-B. , Pang W. , Qin W.-H. , Yao Z.-H. , Chen X. , Zhang C.* , Zheng Y.-T.
  • a Key Lab. of Animal Models and Human Dis. Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sci. and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China, Shaanxi Eng. and Technological Res. Center for Conversation, Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi, 716000, China
  • b Yunnan International Travel Healthcare Center, Kunming, Yunnan, 650200, China
  • c Key Lab. of Animal Models and Human Dis. Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sci. and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
  • d Yunnan International Travel Healthcare Center, Kunming, Yunnan, 650200, China
  • e Key Lab. of Animal Models and Human Dis. Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sci. and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
  • f Key Lab. of Animal Models and Human Dis. Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sci. and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
  • g Pathogen Diagnostic Center, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200025, China
  • h Key Lab. of Animal Models and Human Dis. Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sci. and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China

Abstract

Background: The China-Myanmar border is a particularly interesting region that has very high prevalence of and considerable diversity of HIV-1 recombinants. Due to the transient nature of their work, long-distance truck drivers (LDTDs) have a comparatively high potential to become infected with HIV-1 and further spread virus to other individuals in the area they travel within. In this study, we hypothesized that Burmese LDTDs crossing the China-Myanmar border frequently may potentially be involved in the cross-border transmission of HIV, and contribute to the extremely high prevalence of HIV-1 inter-subtype recombinants in this border region.Methods: A molecular epidemiology study was conducted among 105 Burmese LDTDs between 2008 and 2010. HIV-1 genetic fragments including p17, pol, vif-vpr, vpr-env, and C2V3 were amplified and sequenced. The subtype characterization and HIV-1 transmission were determined by both phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses.Results: Diverse forms of HIV-1, including subtypes CRF01_AE (41.9%), C (8.6%), B (4.8%), CRF02_AG (1.0%), and inter-subtype recombinants (33.3%), as well as dual infection (10.5%), were detected among the tested LDTDs. Phylogeographic analyses based on pure subtype revealed that 77.8% Burmese LDTDs acquired HIV-1 infection in Yunnan, and the others in Myanmar. Both the C-related and CRF01_AE-related recombinants from these LDTDs appeared to have close genetic relationship with those from IDUs in Myanmar and Dehong.Conclusions: Burmese LDTDs may contribute to HIV-1 transmission along the China-Myanmar border. The results may provide some new perspective for understanding the on-going generation and prevalence of HIV-1 recombinants in the border region. © 2014 Zhou et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Author Keywords

transmission China-Myanmar border HIV-1 subtype Recombination LDTDs

Index Keywords

genetics China HIV Infections transmission molecular epidemiology vpr env gene Phylogeography gene amplification virus strain human epidemiology unindexed sequence middle aged p17 gene Asian continental ancestry group Base Sequence motor vehicle long distance truck driver Motor Vehicles Burmese C2V3 gene virus recombinant vif vpr gene genomic fragment structural gene molecular cloning virus gene nonhuman driver nucleotide sequence Young Adult Humans Occupations male occupation Bayes theorem Myanmar prevalence Article major clinical study Phylogeny adult HIV-1 gene sequence Human immunodeficiency virus 1 infection Human immunodeficiency virus 1 virus transmission
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84906836873&doi=10.1186%2f1471-2334-14-463&partnerID=40&md5=a9b2c5f6c713c118a204a0d6dc98396a
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-463
ISSN: 14712334
Cited by: 12
Original Language: English