- Autores: Andrea-Clemencia Pineda-Peña, Jorge Varanda, João Dinis Sousa, Kristof Theys, Inês Bártolo, Thomas Leitner, Nuno Taveira, Anne-Mieke Vandamme, Ana B. Abecasis
- Ano de Publicação: 2016
- Journal: Infection Genetics and Evolution, 46(December), pp 219-222
- Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2016.08.009
HIGHLIGHTS
• We show for the first time the role of Angola in the early spread of the HIV epidemic.
• The first introduction of HIV-1 to Angola could have occurred between 1910 and 1940.
• Migrations out of Kinshasa were directed to Luanda, as much as to other cities of DRC.
• Colonial migration records also showed high number of Angolans living in Kinshasa.
ABSTRACT
Angola borders and has long-term links with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as well as high levels of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) genetic diversity, indicating a potential role in the initial spread of the HIV-1 pandemic. Herein, we analyze 564 C2V3 and 354 pol publicly available sequences from DRC, Republic of Congo (RC) and Angola to better understand the initial spread of the virus in this region. Phylogeographic analyses were performed with the BEAST software. While our results pinpoint the origin of the pandemic to Kinshasa (DRC) around 1906, the introduction of HIV-1 to Angola could have occurred early between the 1910s and 1940s. Furthermore, most of the HIV-1 migrations out of Kinshasa were directed not only to Lubumbashi and Mbuji-Mayi (DRC), but also to Luanda and Brazzaville. Kinshasa census records corroborate these findings, indicating that the early exportation of the virus to Angola might be related to the high number of Angolans in Kinshasa at that time, originated mostly from the North of Angola.
In summary, our results place Angola at the epicenter of the early HIV dissemination, together with DRC and RC.
KEYWORDS
Angola; HIV-1; Origin; Group M; Phylogeography.