Perinatal transmission of HIV-2 infection in malnourished children in Guinea Bissau

Abstract

Since there have been a few reports of pediatric HIV-2 infection. We therefore investigated the perinatal transmission of HIV-2 in 147 malnourished and 164 well-nourished children attending a health center in the northern part of Guinea Bissau. Specific HIV-2 antibodies were detected in 17 mothers and in 2 malnourished children, one of them with pediatric AIDS. This study demonstrates that mother to child transmission of HIV-2 infection occurs in Guinea Bissau and suggests that there is an increased likelihood of detecting HIV-2 infection in malnourished children. The high seroprevalence of HIV-2 in a rural population without known risk factors may represent a hidden threat to mother/child health.

PIP: The authors tested blood samples of 147 malnourished children, 164 well-nourished children, and their 205 mothers with the goal of exploring the extent to which HIV-1 and HIV-2 were being transmitted perinatally in Guinea-Bissau. The children were attending a health center in the northern part of Guinea-Bissau and had been breast fed from birth to 20 months of age or longer. Analysis found antibodies to HIV-2 in 17 mothers and 2 malnourished children, one with pediatric AIDS. These findings demonstrate the occurrence of mother-to-child transmission of HIV-2 in the country and suggest a possible increased likelihood of detecting HIV-2 infection in malnourished children. The high seroprevalence of HIV-2 infection in a rural population without known risk factors may represent a hidden threat to the health of mothers and children.