Envelope V3 Region Sequences of Cuban HIV-1 Isolates

A distinctive clade B HIV type 1 is heterosexually transmitted in Trinidad and Tobago

“…† † In Sao Paolo, subtype F has been isolated from injecting drug users, in contrast to both drug use and sexual transmission of subtype B (37). Brief reports on HIV-1 isolates from seroconverters from Barbados, prevalent positives from Cuba, and commercial sex workers from Honduras have documented that all these HIV-1 isolates fell within the North American͞ European type B variants (38)(39)(40), reflecting the possible routes of entry of HIV-1 into these locales.…”

Genotypic resistance mutations to antiretroviral drugs in HIV-1 B and non-B subtypes from Cuba

“…4 Most of the antiretroviral resistance studies that have been done so far have been carried out in developed countries, where HIV subtype B is predominant. In Cuba one study (10) has reported that there is a predominance of the B subtype, but more recent research has shown that there is a mosaic of subtypes and recombinant viruses (Cuevas MT, et al High HIV-1 genetic diversity in Cuba [unpublished manuscript]. 2001).…”

Origin and Evolutionary History of HIV-1 Subtype B in Cuba

“…The HIV-1 epidemic in Cuba is characterized by elevated genetic diversity, which manifests in widespread circulation of subtypes and multiple recombinant forms. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Although comparisons among countries and population groups and across studies are diffi cult, due to differences in the gene being analyzed, the methods used to align multiple sequences, the nucleotide substitution models and the degree of homogeneity of data used in the estimation, [29] the grouping of Cuban sequences with sequences of diverse geographic origins, primarily from North America and Europe, suggests that this subtype was introduced into the country through multiple events. This result concurs with early epidemiologic studies that detected subtype B in Cuba, and reported the infection source to be the USA and other countries, such as Ethiopia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Spain.…”

“…[9,10] The fi rst molecular epidemiology studies done in Cuba reported circulation of several genetic variants of HIV-1, with a predominance of subtype B in the HIV-positive population (primarily men who have sex with men). [11] Later studies also described high genetic variability, with multiple circulating recombinant forms, still with a predominance of subtype B. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Several studies by non-Cuban authors have analyzed the phylodynamics of Cuba's HIV-1 epidemic, but have not taken into account the epidemiologic history of the patients studied.…”