Genetic Diversity of HIV-1 in Tunisia

In this study, the genetic diversity of HIV-1 in Tunisia was analyzed. For this, 193 samples were collected in different regions of Tunisia between 2012 and 2015. A protease and reverse transcriptase fragment were amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses were performed through maximum likelihood and recombination was analyzed by bootscanning. Six HIV-1 subtypes (B, A1, G, D, C, and F2), 5 circulating recombinant forms (CRF02-AG, CRF25-cpx, CRF43-02G, CRF06-cpx, and CRF19-cpx), and 11 unique recombinant forms were identified. Subtype B (46.4%) and CRF02-AG (39.4%) were the predominant genetic forms. A group of 44 CRF02-AG sequences formed a distinct Tunisian cluster, which also included four viruses from western Europe. Nine viruses were closely related to isolates collected in other African or in European countries. In conclusion, a high HIV-1 genetic diversity is observed in Tunisia and the local spread of CRF02-AG is first documented in this country.