[Molecular and epidemiological characterization of HIV-infection in the Altai Territory].

The genetic analysis of the variants of HIV, type 1, circulating in the Altai Territory was made. The results obtained with the use of the serological analysis and the method of the comparative evaluation of the electrophoretic mobility of heteroduplexes demonstrated that almost all analyzed samples (98.3%) belonged to subtype A. Genetic differences between these viruses did not exceed 9.20%. Moreover, 86.8% of them contained mutation V771 in the protease-coding area. Thus, HIV of subtype A, characteristic of CIS countries and containing mutation V771, may be regarded as the dominating viruses in the Altai Territory and not the viruses of subtypes B, C or A/E, typical of comparatively less remote China.

[Strategic problems in counteracting the spread of HIV infection in the Altai Territory]. / Nekotorye voprosy strategii protivodeistviia rasprostraneniiu VICh-infektsii v Altaiskom krae.

The Altai Territory belongs at present to regions with the insignificant level of the spread of HIV infection. By December 1, 1999, the Altai Territory had 31 registered cases of HIV infection, which constituted 1.33 per 10,000 of the population (the corresponding figure for the whole of Russia being 14.92). But the situation with HIV/AIDS showed the general tendency to the development of the epidemic of HIV infection due to steady growth and the wide involvement of injecting drug users in the epidemic process. Before 1999 all cases of HIV infection registered in the Altai Territory were imported. Out of 31 HIV infected persons detected in the territory, 18 were injecting drug users. In 1999 local foci of HIV infection were formed among drug users in two big cities of the Altai Territory, which was indicative of the gradual transition of HIV infection from the phase of the registration of individual cases to the phase of the formation of local foci among some groups of the population.