HIV Diversity and Antiretroviral Resistance

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) already
infected more than 30 million people worldwide is
among the most genetically variable human viruses and
is characterized by high rates of replication,
mutation, and recombination, presenting a
nerve-racking challenge to disease treatment and the
development of an efficacious vaccine that can
eradicate the virus. As many countries begin to
introduce large scale access to anti-HIV drugs
(highly active antiretroviral therapy, HAART) to
control the disease, ongoing surveillance for HIV
drug resistant variants in patients beginning initial
antiretroviral or experiencing antiretroviral regimen
failure is essential in monitoring treatment
programs. In this book, genetic diversity of HIV and
the profiles of genetic mutations associated with
drug resistance in HIV-infected populations in the
Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur were assessed,
leading to the discovery of a novel recombinant virus