Introduction
HIV-2 is endemic to West Africa and has been diagnosed in patients who have immigrated elsewhere such as the U.S., Spain, England, Wales and Ireland. It has also been detected in India. (1,2,3)
We report HIV-2 in a man and woman both diagnosed positive at the same time that their newborn tested positive for HIV-2 antibody. The woman had been tested during her pregnancy by OraSure HIV-1 test and was negative.
They were both born in Mexico and traveled only to NY. Although the man did admit to other sexual contacts 8 years prior to diagnosis, those sexual contacts to his knowledge were not themselves from Africa.
These are the first reported cases of HIV-2 from Mexico and this finding stresses the importance of screening for HIV 1&2 in all patients tested for HIV but especially in pregnant women.
Sincerely,
Judith Berger MD
Michelle Dahdouh MD
St Barnabas Hospital
Designated AIDS Center
Bronx, NY
References
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Kanki, PJ, De Cock, KM. Epidemiology and natural history of HIV-2. AIDS 1994;8: S85-93
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Dougan S, Patel B, Tosswill JH, Sinka K. Diagnoses of HIV-1 and HIV-2 in England, wales, and Northern Ireland associated with West Africa. Sex Transm Infect. 2005; 81:338-41
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Bhanja P, Mandal DK, Jana S, Bhattacharya SK, Chakrabarti S.Detection and characterization of HIV type 2 in Calcutta, India. AIDS Res Hum Retrovirises.2004; 20:101-4