Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a major causative agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Subtype C (HIV-1C) is the most prevalent HIV-1 subtype worldwide. Although it is highly prevalent in Nepal, genotypic information on Nepalese HIV-1C is limited. We herein investigated the origin and dynamics of HIV-1C in Nepal. Nearly full-length sequencing of Nepalese HIV-1C strains and phylogenetic analyses were performed. The results obtained showed that Nepalese HIV-1C is closely related to the Indian and southern African strains and the introduction of HIV-1C into Nepal was estimated to be in the mid-1980s. These results suggest that multiple HIV-1C strains entered Nepal in the mid-1980s, and this was followed by a marked increase in the number of infection cases for the next decade. These results reflect the current transmission dynamics of HIV-1C strains in Nepal and provide valuable information for HIV monitoring and vaccine development.
Keywords: HIV-1; Nepal; nearly full-length sequencing; subtype C.