HIV spreads in "mini-epidemics", new study shows

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A worrying new trend in the spread of HIV that could lead to a series of 'mini-epidemics' has been revealed in research carried out by University of Edinburgh scientists.

The study, which involved more than 2000 HIV-infected gay men, set out to determine how the HIV virus can evolve over time, and tracked its progress in the London area. The study was carried out in conjunction with the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and used data collected between 1997 and 2003.

While HIV is widespread globally, and can be contracted by various forms of sexual contact, gay men are still considered to be a high-risk group, particularly in the UK and America.

Andrew Leigh Brown, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Biological Sciences, said: “By studying changes in the virus over time, we have been able to pinpoint its progress in stages through the groups of men affected, which until now has not been done effectively.”

The results displayed clear patterns of infection with 25 per cent of all observed cases occurring within one cluster of connected individuals.

Professor Brown commented: “The tightness of clusters that we have found is frightening. The results raise concerns that a drug-resistant version of the virus could spread quickly, causing a mini-epidemic, which is hard to treat.”

Such patterns of sexual contact in the spread of sexually transmitted infections can be difficult to trace, particularly for HIV, as half of those infected are not diagnosed until they are suffering from Aids – the advanced form of immune system disease resulting from infection with virus.

The research, published in the open-access journal, Public Library of Science: Medicine, also highlighted that many men who became infected with the virus passed it on within a few months, often long before they had been diagnosed with the disease.

This may alter the way in which the spread of HIV in combated, emphasising the importance of targeted local awareness campaigns, an idea echoed by Professor Brown.

“It is important that information on the virus is available to gay men in the local areas where they are known to meet, to try to arrest the spread of HIV and Aids,” he said.

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