[A recombinant HIV-1 strain causing an epidemic among injection drug addicts in Kaliningrad].

The analysis of the genetic structure of HIV causing the epidemic in Kaliningrad Province. A new recombinant virus of subtype A/B was detected with the use of the polymerase chain reaction, the cloning of amplified fragments, sequencing and the phylogenetic analysis of the obtained data. The results thus obtained indicate that the epidemic in Kaliningrad was caused by a recombinant strain, and not due to co-infection caused by two HIV strains of different subtypes.

HIV-1 genetic subtype A/B recombinant strain causing an explosive epidemic in injecting drug users in Kaliningrad.

Objectives: To investigate the molecular epidemiology and genetic structure of the virus strain(s) causing an outbreak of HIV-1 infection in the Kaliningrad province of the Russian Federation and to investigate the relationship of this outbreak to some other emerging HIV-1 epidemics in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Design: A molecular epidemiological investigation was conducted in the city of Kaliningrad amongst individuals recently diagnosed as HIV-1-positive. Samples were also collected from neighbouring Lithuania and from the Ukraine.