ABSTRACT
HIV-1 variants circulating in the town of Cherepovets, Vologda Region, were genetically analyzed. It was shown that that were predominantly two HIV-1 variants: IDU-A (19%) and the recombinant strain UDU-AIB (77%) that circulated in the region. Amongst the IDU-A strains, there were genotypes containing characteristic secondary drug resistance mutations in the pol gene of V771 and A62V, as well as variants of the wild type. Amongst IDU-AIB strains, only one variant of the virus had genotype V771. The recombinant form of HIV-1 was more common in injective drug users while a group of heterosexuals had both recombinant virus and the variant IDU-A, that is typical of other regions of Russia. Thus, the epidemic outbreak due to the recombinant HIV-1 strain IDU-AIB was first registered in Russia, outside the Kaliningrad Region.
