Epidemiological study on HIV/AIDS in Dongguan City

Objective The present study was conducted to find out the epidemiological characteris- tics, sources of infection and risk factors of AIDS, and deduce the epidemic trend of AIDS in Dong- guan City in order to provide the basis for the prevention and control measures. Methods Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the routine and sentinel surveillance data of AIDS in Dongguan City from 1991 to 2005. HIV antibody testing was conducted for different populations by ELISA method, and the HIV- positive persons were confirmed by WB. The sequence of HIV- 1env gene was analyzed and the subtype of HIV was identified by nested- PCR after nucleic acid was ex- tracted from lymphocytes of peripheral blood of HIV carriers. Results Since the first imported HIV- infection was found in Dongguan City in 1991, 759 HIV- infected cases had been reported by the end of 2005. The number of reported HIV infections increased year by year. Most of the carriers were young, male, and floating ones. Intravenous drug abuse was the main transmission route. The CRF01- AE subtype was the main epidemic strain. Conclusion The prevalence of AIDS has been in the rapidly increasing period, and AIDS is spreading from drug addicts and the population with sexually promiscuous behaviors to general population. It is urgent to strengthen HIV surveillance and develop intervention programs in high- risk populations.