DIVERSITY IN VIRUS POPULATIONS FROM GENITAL SECRETIONS AND PERIPHERAL-BLOOD FROM WOMEN RECENTLY INFECTED WITH HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1

In order to develop a human immunodeficiency virus type I vaccine with global efficacy, it is important to evaluate the virus populations th at are transmitted to individuals living in high-incidence areas. To d etermine the nature of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 populat ion transmitted to women during heterosexual contact, we examined the diversity of the proviral envelope gene in infected cells in both geni tal secretions and peripheral blood from six recently seroconverted Ke nyan women. Heterogeneous virus populations were present in cervical s ecretions and/or peripheral blood shortly after seroconversion for fiv e of six infected individuals, and tissue-specific variants were ident ified in several cases.