The detection of HIV-2 infection in southern India

To determine the prevalence of HIV-2 infection in southern India, we tested two sets of sera, selected from among the samples which had been collected between January 1988 and October 1990 from high risk subjects and tested for HIV-1 antibody. They were screened for HIV-2 antibody by ELISA and repeatedly reactive sera confirmed by HIV-2 Western blot and line immunoassay. In the first set of 604 sera, only one (0.16%) was positive for HIV-2. In the second set of 24 sera, selected on the basis of having indeterminate HIV-1 Western blot profiles, again one (4%) was positive for HIV-2. The two HIV-2 infected subjects were residents of Madras or Visakhapatnam. Residents of Vellore region constituted 88 and 75 per cent of the two sets of subjects; none was positive for HIV-2. Our results show the prevalence of HIV-2 in the port-cities of southern India. Since it will spread to other regions continuous monitoring for this infection is essential in order to determine when to establish HIV-2 screening in addition to the existing HIV-1 screening of donor blood for transfusion.