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1: Epidemiol Infect. 2008 Apr;136(4):551-61. Epub 2007 Jun 11.
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Behaviour change and competitive exclusion can explain the diverging HIV-1 and HIV-2 prevalence trends in Guinea-Bissau.

Schmidt WP, Van Der Loeff MS, Aaby P, Whittle H, Bakker R, Buckner M, Dias F, White RG.

Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. Wolf-Peter.Schmidt@lshtm.ac.uk

The aim of this study was to determine whether a temporary rise in sexual risk behaviour during war in Guinea-Bissau could explain the observed trends in HIV-1 and HIV-2 prevalence, and to explore the possible contribution of competitive elimination of HIV-2 by HIV-1. A simulation model of the heterosexual transmission of sexually transmitted infections was parameterized using demographic, behavioural and epidemiological data from rural Guinea-Bissau, and fitted to the observed HIV-1 and HIV-2 trends with and without a historic rise in risk behaviour. The observed trends could only be simulated by assuming a temporary rise in risk behaviour. Around 30% of the projected decline in HIV-2 prevalence from a peak of 8.7% to 4.3% in 2010 was due to competitive elimination by HIV-1. Importantly for public health, HIV-1 prevalence was predicted to continue increasing and to become the dominant HIV type by 2010. Data collection is required to validate this prediction.

PMID: 17559692 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]