Prevalence of transmitted drug resistance associated mutations and HIV-1 subtypes in new HIV-1 diagnoses, U.S.-2006.

Objective: To determine the distribution of HIV-1 subtypes and the prevalence of transmitted drug resistance-associated mutations (TDRM) among persons newly diagnosed with HIV-1 infection in the United States.

Methods: We used sequence data from Variant, Atypical, and Resistant HIV Surveillance (VARHS) collected from newly diagnosed persons in 10 states and 1 county health department in 2006. To evaluate TDRM, we used a mutation list for surveillance of TDRM appropriate for the primarily subtype B HIV epidemic in the United States.

Abandonment of infants by HIV-positive women in Russia and prevention measures.

Since 1990, Russia has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of abandoned children, associated with harsh socio-economic conditions, increases in drug and alcohol addiction and HIV infection. Approximately 20% of infants born to HIV-positive mothers are abandoned in Russia. To find out why, we conducted 266 qualitative interviews in 2004-05 in four Russian cities, including HIV-positive women who had abandoned their infants and others who had not, relatives of the women (mostly their mothers), HIV-negative women who had abandoned, and medical experts.