Jv. Parry et al., National surveillance of HIV-1 subtypes for England and Wales - Design, methods, and initial findings, J ACQ IMM D, 26(4), 2001, pp. 381-388
The HIV-1 infections detected in an ongoing national unlinked anonymous HIV
surveillance program were subtyped and analyzed according to demographic a
nd risk characteristics. Of the 893 anti-HIV-l-positive specimens allocated
to an exposure group, 70% could be subtyped. Almost 25% of infections subt
yped were non-B, mostly subtypes A, C, and D. Non-B infections were rare in
homosexual and bisexual men and in drug injectors. Forty percent of infect
ions in heterosexual men attending genitourinary medicine clinics were non-
B subtypes; of these, 25% were subtype A infections and 59% were subtype C
infections. For female clinic attendees, 61% were non-B subtype infections,
of which 48% were subtype A infections and 42% were subtype C infections.
Of the clinic attendees born in the United Kingdom and Europe, 14% of the m
en and 35% of the women were infected with non-B subtypes. In contrast, 78%
of infections in antenatal patients were non-B subtypes, of which 61% were
subtype A and 29% were subtype C. Extrapolation to the estimated 29,700 pr
evalent adult infections in the United Kingdom indicates that approximately
8,100 (27%) such infections are non-B subtypes and that these are found al
most entirely in heterosexuals. The findings suggest spread of infection of
non-B subtypes to heterosexuals born in the United Kingdom from individual
s infected in regions of high prevalence.