Prevalence of HIV 2: A retrospective study from a HIV/AIDS consult

The western Africa is the origin of the HIV2 infection where Guinea Bissau has been the country where the rate of infection is higher. This infection have extended to Europe through the relationship established between European countries and there African colonies in the past. At 2010, 1.295 cases of HIV 2 infection were notified in Portugal, which represents nearly 3.3% of all HIV infections. Almost 510 of these cases are classified as AIDS. Although the majority of notified cases is from African patients there is still a significant contribution of the Portuguese people in these numbers. Retrospective analysis of HIV2 infected women and men followed at Faro's Hospital HIV/AIDS consult between January 1992 and June 2012. In this sample were included every patient older than 15 years and were excluded every patient than haven't been at the consult for a period superior to 18 - 24 months. Deceased patients and address change were also exclusion factors. Of all 1500 patients followed in consult, 35 of them were infected with HIV2 (2.3%); 18 women and 17 men. There were 3 patients that were co-infected with HIV1 and HIV2. Mean age were 52.9 years. 19 of the infected patients were leucodermic and 16 were melanodermic. The majority of patients (19 cases) were Portuguese. The rest of them were from Africa where Guinea Bissau were the only country represented. In opposition to the HIV1 infection, the sexual transmission is by far the more common way of being infected. There's no case of vertical transmission known in our population. At the first contact, the majority of patients appear asymptomatic (16 cases) while a minority (4 cases) manifest themselves by AIDS. There is an AIDS case that result from HIV1 and HIV2 co-infection (only one intravenous drug user in the group). The more common treatment is the association of NRTI and PI. The HIV2 infection is characterized by a longer clinical evolution when compared to the HIV1 infection. That fact explains why the mean age of patients is higher in the first case. This study shows that there isn't a gender incidence difference between men and women. Despite what happens at a national level, at local level the HIV2 infection is more prevalent among patients born in Portugal. It's important to notice that the HIV1 and HIV2 co-infection is rising and that leads to some questions like viral synergism with consequent rapid disease progression. (Published: 11 November 2012) Citation: Abstracts of the Eleventh International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection Guerreiro C et al. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2012, 15 (Suppl 4):18371 http://www.jiasociety.org/index.php/jias/article/view/18371 | http://dx.doi.org/10.7448/IAS.15.6.18371