Insights into HIV-1 Transmission Dynamics Using Routinely Collected Data in the Mid-Atlantic United States

Molecular epidemiological approaches provide opportunities to characterize HIV transmission dynamics. We analyzed HIV sequences and virus load (VL) results obtained during routine clinical care, and individual's zip-code location to determine utility of this approach. HIV-1 pol sequences aligned using ClustalW were subtyped using REGA. A maximum likelihood (ML) tree was generated using IQTree. Transmission clusters with =3% genetic distance (GD) and =90% bootstrap support were identified using ClusterPicker. We conducted Bayesian analysis using BEAST to confirm transmission clusters. The proportion of nucleotides with ambiguity =0.5% was considered indicative of early infection. Descriptive statistics were applied to characterize clusters and group comparisons were performed using chi-square or t-test. Among 2775 adults with data from 2014-2015, 2589 (93%) had subtype B HIV-1, mean age was 44 years (SD 12.7), 66.4% were male, and 25% had nucleotide ambiguity =0.5. There were 456 individuals in 193 clusters: 149 dyads, 32 triads, and 12 groups with = four individuals per cluster. More commonly in clusters were males than females, 349 (76.5%) vs. 107 (23.5%), p < 0.0001; younger individuals, 35.3 years (SD 12.1) vs. 44.7 (SD 12.3), p < 0.0001; and those with early HIV-1 infection by nucleotide ambiguity, 202/456 (44.3%) vs. 442/2133 (20.7%), p < 0.0001. Members of 43/193 (22.3%) of clusters included individuals in different jurisdictions. Clusters = four individuals were similarly found using BEAST. HIV-1 viral load (VL) =3.0 log10 c/mL was most common among individuals in clusters = four, 18/21, (85.7%) compared to 137/208 (65.8%) in clusters sized 2-3, and 927/1169 (79.3%) who were not in a cluster (p < 0.0001). HIV sequence data obtained for HIV clinical management provide insights into regional transmission dynamics. Our findings demonstrate the additional utility of HIV-1 VL data in combination with phylogenetic inferences as an enhanced contact tracing tool to direct HIV treatment and prevention services. Trans-jurisdictional approaches are needed to optimize efforts to end the HIV epidemic.

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