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Human immunodeficiency virus-associated disorders in Pakistan
R M Khanani1, A Hafeez, S M Rab
1Department of Microbiology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, Pakistan.
Insights
This study documents the first cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Pakistan, including heterosexual transmission within a family and from a blood donor. Evidence shows perinatal transmission from mother to child, highlighting the virus
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- The presence and transmission patterns of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Pakistan were previously undocumented.
- Understanding the modes of HIV transmission is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the first documented cases of HIV infection in Pakistan.
- To investigate the transmission routes, including heterosexual and perinatal transmission.
- To describe clinical manifestations of HIV/AIDS-related conditions (ARC) in affected individuals.
Main Methods:
- Clinical diagnosis of persistent generalized lymphadenopathy and AIDS-related conditions (ARC).
- Identification of HIV infection in a blood donor and a family cluster.
- Assessment of potential transmission pathways: heterosexual contact and perinatal/transplacental routes.
Main Results:
- Four individuals in Karachi, Pakistan, were confirmed HIV-positive: a blood donor and a family of three (husband, wife, child).
- Evidence suggests heterosexual transmission from an infected male drug abuser to his wife.
- The infected mother transmitted HIV to her newborn child via perinatal/transplacental routes.
- Clinical presentations included persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (ARC) in males and developmental/neurologic issues in the child.
Conclusions:
- This report provides the first evidence of HIV infection and its heterosexual transmission in Pakistan.
- The findings highlight the risk of sexual and perinatal transmission within the country.
- Urgent public health strategies are needed to address HIV/AIDS in Pakistan.
Abstract:
We have documented evidence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in four individuals including a blood donor and three members of a family (husband, wife, and a child) in Karachi, Pakistan. Our data indicate that HIV has been transmitted to the wife of the seropositive male, a drug abuser, in the recent past and that she has passed the virus to her newborn child perinatally/transplacentally. The two seropositive males (blood donor and drug abuser) were diagnosed clinically as having persistent generalized lymphadenopathy, an AIDS-related condition (ARC), and the child presented with developmental disorders and neurologic manifestations. This is the first report of AIDS/ARC cases from Pakistan that can be directly related to HIV infection and its heterosexual transmission.