Volta
Molecular transmission network analysis of newly diagnosed HIV-1 infections in Ningbo from 2018–2022
Introduction: Understanding molecular transmission patterns is critical for HIV prevention designed with key populations. This study aimed to characterize the molecular epidemiology, transmission networks, and underlying factors associated with HIV-1 transmission in Ningbo during 2018-2022. Methods: We analyzed data from 1,409 newly diagnosed people living with HIV who had successful genotyping. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed, and transmission clusters were identified using 1.3% distance and 0.9 bootstrap values. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with clustered, large clusters (≥10 nodes) and fast-growing clusters. Results: Molecular analysis revealed 11 distinct HIV-1 subtypes and some unique recombinant forms (URFs), with CRF07_BC (41.6%) and CRF01_AE (33.2%) as the most prevalent. CRF07_BC consistently tended to form larger, more densely …