Identification of 3 Distinct HIV-1 Founding Strains Responsible for Expanding Epidemic Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in 9 Chinese Cities

Abstract

We identified 3 distinct HIV-1 lineages (clusters 1-3) responsible for the recent upsurge of the AIDS epidemic among MSM in China. These 3 HIV-1 variants are spread widely among MSM throughout China, demonstrating remarkable founding effects.