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Phylodynamics of the HIV-1 epidemic in Cuba

Edson Delatorre1, Gonzalo Bello

  • 1Laboratório de AIDS e Imunologia Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Plos One
|September 17, 2013
PubMed

Insights

The HIV-1 epidemic in Cuba resulted from a few introduced viral strains rapidly spreading locally. These strains, including subtypes B, C, G, and CRFs, were introduced mainly between 1985-1995 and spread quickly.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) epidemic in Cuba presents a complex molecular epidemiology with diverse subtypes and circulating recombinant forms (CRFs).
  • The evolutionary and population dynamics of these circulating HIV-1 variants in Cuba remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary history and population dynamics of the predominant HIV-1 lineages in Cuba.
  • To determine the origins and introduction times of major HIV-1 strains circulating in the Cuban population.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of HIV-1 pol gene sequences from prevalent Cuban viral lineages (subtypes B, C, G, CRF18_cpx, CRF19_cpx, CRFs20/23/24_BG) isolated between 1999 and 2011.
  • Phylogenetic analyses using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian-coalescent methods to infer viral introductions, origins, and spread dynamics.

Main Results:

  • Multiple introductions of HIV-1 subtypes B, C, G, and CRF18_cpx into Cuba were identified, with founder strains likely originating from North America/Europe, East Africa, and Central Africa.
  • The major HIV-1 founder strains were introduced between 1985-1995, while CRFs_BG strains emerged later in the 1990s.
  • Most Cuban HIV-1 clades exhibited rapid exponential spread in the 1990s and early 2000s, followed by a recent decrease in growth rate.

Conclusions:

  • The Cuban HIV-1 epidemic is characterized by the successful introduction of a limited number of viral strains.
  • These strains, introduced relatively late in the global AIDS pandemic, disseminated rapidly through local transmission networks.
  • Understanding these introduction and transmission dynamics is crucial for targeted HIV-1 prevention and control strategies in Cuba.

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