MOPE119 - Poster Exhibition
Putative case of HIV-1 transmission related to cuticle pliers
V. Pimentel1,2, L. Coelho2, C.J. Villabona1, C. Hársi1, H. Onias3, L. Brígido2, E. Matsuda3
1University of São Paulo, Microbiology, São Paulo, Brazil, 2Adolfo Lutz Research Institute, São Paulo, Brazil, 3Santo Andre Aids Program, Santo Andre, Brazil
Background: Body fluids can contaminate different objects with infectious organisms
and lead to fomite transmission of diseases. Negligence when using beauty
utensils (such as needles for tattooing and razors for shaving) poses a risk
for virus transmission. Here, we document an event of HIV-1 transmission potentially
associated the sharing of cuticle plier.
Methods: A female
diagnosed with HIV-1 infection at blood donotion reported no sexual intercourse
or intimate contact as well as other potential sources of known HIV transmission.
Nonetheless, she informed non-sexual contact with a HIV-1 infected female
cousin. Both the relative (putative index case, PIC) and the newly diagnosed
patient, had DNA from cells and RNA from plasma extracted at different time
points. The genomic material was used to amplify and sequence the env-gp120 region. These sequences were evaluated
with available Brazilian time-stamped (1989-2013) reference sequences of HIV-1
subtype B retrieved from GenBank (6800-7500 HXB-2 positions) and other
available sequences from patients'' city. This dataset was used in a
phylogenetic analysis following a Bayesian approach and using a General Time
Reversible nucleotide substitution model and a relaxed molecular clock.
Results: The phylogenetic
analysis of the env-gp120 region revealed that both
patients had a common ancestor. The group had a posterior probability of 1.0
and the likely transmission event was dated to 10.81 years ago (HPDs 4 -18).
New interviews with the patients and relatives were performed to rule out
adoption, transfusion, IDU or any other
known mode of HIV transmission, with confirmation of sharing cuticle pliers around the likely estimated transmission
period. Index case, now virally suppressed, had a viral load of 3.6 log
at that time.
Conclusions: Both patients'' strains are phylogenetically related with a period of
transmission (around 2003) that is consistent with epidemiological and
virological findings. All together, results suggest the share of manicure
paraphernalia as a possible route of HIV-1 transmission.
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