HIV-1 SUBTYPE-O - EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS, DIAGNOSIS, AND PERSPECTIVES OF THE EVOLUTION OF HIV

HIV-1 subtype O is a new HIV variant originating in the West-Central A frican region, with highest prevalences in countries such as Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Detection of antibodies to HIV-1 subtype O can pose problems in unmodified ELISA tests, and confirmation of an ti-HIV-1 subtype O in immunoblot may give false negative results in so me specimens. Nucleic acid-based assays designed for HIV-1 detection d o not amplify or detect sequences from HIV-1 subtype O. In their env s equences, HIV-1 subtype O strains show a higher heterogeneity than the classical HIV-1 subtypes, leading to the conclusion that HIV-1 subtyp e O has been introduced into the human population only recently. Furth er, unidentified subtypes are also likely to exist.