MOLECULAR EVIDENCE FOR NOSOCOMIAL TRANSMISSION OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS FROM A SURGEON TO ONE OF HIS PATIENTS

We have investigated the molecular evidence in favor of the transmissi on of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from an HIV-infected surgeon to one of his patients. After PCR amplification, the env and gag seque nces from the viral genome were cloned and sequenced. Phylogenetic ana lysis revealed that the viral sequences derived from the surgeon and h is patient are closely related, which strongly suggests that nosocomia l transmission occurred. In addition, these viral sequences belong to group M of HIV type 1 but are divergent from the reference sequences o f the known subtypes.