Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec;13(1):2409319.
doi: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2409319. Epub 2024 Sep 30.

Characterizing HIV-1 transmission by genetic cluster analysis among newly diagnosed patients in the China-Myanmar border region from 2020 to 2023

Huan Liu  1   2 , Yichen Jin  1   2 , Yuecheng Yang  3 , Xing Duan  3 , Yanfen Cao  3 , Duo Shan  2 , Chang Cai  1   2 , Houlin Tang  1   2
Affiliations

Characterizing HIV-1 transmission by genetic cluster analysis among newly diagnosed patients in the China-Myanmar border region from 2020 to 2023

Huan Liu et al. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Cluster analysis of HIV sequence can provide insights into viral transmission patterns in border regions. This study aims to illuminate the HIV-1 subtype distribution and transmission dynamics among newly diagnosed individuals in Dehong prefecture, a region along the China-Myanmar border. Among 948 participants with pol gene sequences, 36 HIV-1 subtypes were identified, with URFs (18.8%, 178/948) being the dominant strain, followed by CRF01_AE (18.5%, 175/948) and CRF07_BC (10.9%, 103/948). Additionally, 287 sequences (30.3%, 287/948) were grouped into 91 clusters, 31 of which contained both Chinese and Burmese individuals. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that men who have sex with men (MSM), CD4 + cell count of 200∼499, and 500 cells/μl and above, and CRF01_AE were risk factors for entering the network. Through the Chord diagram, we found frequent transmission relationships among heterosexual China male group, especially those over 35 years of age. Additionally, the correlation between heterosexual Myanmar female group and heterosexual China male group among cross-risk groups deserved to be emphasized. Furthermore, the network exhibited a growing trend over time, with the largest active transmission cluster identified in Ruili county. In conclusion, the HIV-1 subtype landscape in Dehong has become increasingly complex, and the region has faced risks of transmission from both domestic and international sources. Targeted intervention strategies should be implemented for MSM, heterosexual Chinese middle-aged and elderly men, and heterosexual Burmese young adults to mitigate these risks. These findings provided evidence-based insights for local government to formulate coordinated transnational intervention approaches.

Keywords: HIV-1; cluster analysis; cross-border; molecular epidemiology; subtype.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow chart shows the individuals meeting inclusion criteria.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Distribution of subtypes by different characteristics. A. subtypes distribution by nationality. B. subtypes distribution by age at diagnosis. C. subtypes distribution by education level. D. subtypes distribution by mode of transmission.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Molecular transmission network analysis of HIV-1 among newly diagnosed patients in Dehong from 2020 to 2023.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Linkage analysis of different risk groups in the network. Abbreviations: HMF: heterosexual-Myanmar-female,HMM:heterosexual-Myanmar-male, HCF: heterosexual-China-female, HCM: heterosexual-China-male, MSM: men who have sex with men.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Analysis of active transmission clusters within the transmission network. Abbreviations: fHeterosexual, heterosexual female; mHeterosexual, heterosexual male.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Alexiev I, Campbell EM, Knyazev S, et al. . Molecular epidemiological analysis of the origin and transmission dynamics of the HIV-1 CRF01_AE sub-epidemic in Bulgaria. Viruses. 2021 Jan 16;13(1):116. doi:10.3390/v13010116 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ragonnet-Cronin M, Hu YW, Morris SR, et al. . HIV transmission networks among transgender women in Los Angeles County, CA, USA: a phylogenetic analysis of surveillance data. Lancet HIV. 2019 Mar;6(3):e164–e172. doi:10.1016/S2352-3018(18)30359-X - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chen X, Zhou YH, Ye M, et al. . Burmese injecting drug users in Yunnan play a pivotal role in the cross-border transmission of HIV-1 in the China-Myanmar border region. Virulence. 2018;9(1):1195–1204. doi:10.1080/21505594.2018.1496777 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wang H, Yang Z, Zhu H, et al. . High HIV-1 prevalence and viral diversity among entry-exit populations at frontier ports of China, 2012-2016: a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study. Infect Genet Evol. 2018 Nov;65:231–237. doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2018.08.003 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Vrancken B, Mehta SR, Ávila-Ríos S, et al. . Dynamics and dispersal of local human immunodeficiency virus epidemics within San Diego and across the San Diego-Tijuana border. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Oct 5;73(7):e2018–e2025. doi:10.1093/cid/ciaa1588 - DOI - PMC - PubMed