HIV superinfection appears to be extremely rare, a Dutch study published in the June 1st edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases suggests.
The study is one of the few attempts to use ongoing virological monitoring and behavioural data to establish the likely incidence of superinfection, albeit in a small cohort, and points to the neglect of a question that remains important for giving advice on HIV prevention strategies that might encourage the practice of serosorting - sex with partners of the same HIV status.
Researchers monitored 15 HIV-positive gay men for evidence of superinfection for an average of almost six years. All the men either reported unprotected anal sex, or had a history of sexually transmitted infections. Despite this risk, no cases of superinfection were detected.
“With no putative case of HIV-1 superinfection detected in 15 individuals over a total of 88.3 PY [per years], we observed a low incidence rate of HIV-1 superinfection (incidence rate: 0 per 100 PY, 95% CI: 0.42),” write the investigators.
However, they do not regard their results as definitive and call for further research into this matter. In particular, they speculate that the level of risk of the men in their study may not have been high enough to lead to superinfection.
Intensive case finding has identified approximately 50 cases of confirmed HIV superinfection (infection with a second strain of the virus).
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[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]
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