The emergence of HIV/AIDS in the Americas and beyond.
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The emergence of HIV/AIDS in the Americas and beyond. / Gilbert, M Thomas P; Rambaut, Andrew; Wlasiuk, Gabriela; Spira, Thomas J; Pitchenik, Arthur E; Worobey, Michael.
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, Vol. 104, No. 47, 2007, p. 18566-70.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The emergence of HIV/AIDS in the Americas and beyond.
AU - Gilbert, M Thomas P
AU - Rambaut, Andrew
AU - Wlasiuk, Gabriela
AU - Spira, Thomas J
AU - Pitchenik, Arthur E
AU - Worobey, Michael
N1 - Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Americas; DNA, Viral; HIV-1; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Time Factors
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - HIV-1 group M subtype B was the first HIV discovered and is the predominant variant of AIDS virus in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa. However, the circumstances of its origin and emergence remain unresolved. Here we propose a geographic sequence and time line for the origin of subtype B and the emergence of pandemic HIV/AIDS out of Africa. Using HIV-1 gene sequences recovered from archival samples from some of the earliest known Haitian AIDS patients, we find that subtype B likely moved from Africa to Haiti in or around 1966 (1962-1970) and then spread there for some years before successfully dispersing elsewhere. A "pandemic" clade, encompassing the vast majority of non-Haitian subtype B infections in the United States and elsewhere around the world, subsequently emerged after a single migration of the virus out of Haiti in or around 1969 (1966-1972). Haiti appears to have the oldest HIV/AIDS epidemic outside sub-Saharan Africa and the most genetically diverse subtype B epidemic, which might present challenges for HIV-1 vaccine design and testing. The emergence of the pandemic variant of subtype B was an important turning point in the history of AIDS, but its spread was likely driven by ecological rather than evolutionary factors. Our results suggest that HIV-1 circulated cryptically in the United States for approximately 12 years before the recognition of AIDS in 1981.
AB - HIV-1 group M subtype B was the first HIV discovered and is the predominant variant of AIDS virus in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa. However, the circumstances of its origin and emergence remain unresolved. Here we propose a geographic sequence and time line for the origin of subtype B and the emergence of pandemic HIV/AIDS out of Africa. Using HIV-1 gene sequences recovered from archival samples from some of the earliest known Haitian AIDS patients, we find that subtype B likely moved from Africa to Haiti in or around 1966 (1962-1970) and then spread there for some years before successfully dispersing elsewhere. A "pandemic" clade, encompassing the vast majority of non-Haitian subtype B infections in the United States and elsewhere around the world, subsequently emerged after a single migration of the virus out of Haiti in or around 1969 (1966-1972). Haiti appears to have the oldest HIV/AIDS epidemic outside sub-Saharan Africa and the most genetically diverse subtype B epidemic, which might present challenges for HIV-1 vaccine design and testing. The emergence of the pandemic variant of subtype B was an important turning point in the history of AIDS, but its spread was likely driven by ecological rather than evolutionary factors. Our results suggest that HIV-1 circulated cryptically in the United States for approximately 12 years before the recognition of AIDS in 1981.
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0705329104
DO - 10.1073/pnas.0705329104
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 17978186
VL - 104
SP - 18566
EP - 18570
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
SN - 0027-8424
IS - 47
ER -
ID: 3848392