Patterns of HIV infection among native and refugee Afghans
Ansari, A.S.; Khanani, M.R.; Abidi, S.H.; Shah, F.; Shahid, A.; Ali, S.H.
Aids 25(11): 1427-1430
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 1473-5571 PMID: 21516026 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0b013e32834800e7Document Number: 229186
The current study was conducted to explore the origins of the HIV epidemics among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan and the native Afghans in Afghanistan. Phylogenetic analysis of HIV gag gene from 40 samples showed diverse HIV variants, originating from a number of countries. Intermixing of diverse HIV variants among Afghans may give rise to seeding of infections with rare HIV strains which may pose serious challenges for the treatment and control of infection.