1. Evidence for a 'Founder Effect' among HIV-infected injection drug users (IDUs) in Pakistan
- Author
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Richard Yanagihara, Syed Ali, Arish Rehman, Shahana Urooj Kazmi, Saeed Khan, Vivek R. Nerurkar, Mohammad A. Rai, and Suhail Khoja
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Drug ,medicine.medical_specialty ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Developing country ,HIV Infections ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,Drug Users ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Medical microbiology ,mental disorders ,Epidemiology ,Humans ,Medicine ,Pakistan ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Young adult ,Phylogeny ,media_common ,Transients and Migrants ,0303 health sciences ,Sequence Analysis, RNA ,030306 microbiology ,business.industry ,Public health ,virus diseases ,Sex Work ,Virology ,Founder Effect ,3. Good health ,Infectious Diseases ,Parasitology ,Population Surveillance ,HIV-1 ,RNA, Viral ,business ,Sequence Alignment ,Research Article ,Demography ,Founder effect - Abstract
Background We have previously reported a HIV-1 subtype A infection in a community of injection drug users (IDUs) in Karachi, Pakistan. We now show that this infection among the IDUs may have originated from a single source. Methods Phylogenetic analysis was performed of partial gag sequences, generated using PCR, from 26 HIV-positive IDU samples. Results Our results showed formation of a tight monophyletic group with an intra-sequence identity of < 98% indicating a "founder effect". Our data indicate that the HIV-1 epidemic in this community of IDUs may have been transmitted by an HIV positive overseas contract worker who admitted to having contact with commercial sex workers during stay abroad. Conclusion Specific measures need to implemented to control transmission of HIV infection in Pakistan through infected migrant workers.
- Published
- 2010
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