Genomic Characterization of a Novel HIV-1 Second-Generation Recombinant (CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC) Identified from a Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) Patient in Hebei, China

Along with the co-circulation of dominant HIV-1 strains (CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC) in China, an increasing number of second-generation recombinants are being detected, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). In this study, we identified a unique CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC recombinant from a HIV-1-positive man (BDD015A) infected through homosexual transmission in Baoding city, Hebei Province. Analysis of the near full-length genome sequence of the recombinant revealed five segments divided by four breakpoints, with two regions of CRF07_BC inserted into the pol and env regions of the CRF01_AE backbone. Three CRF01_AE segments (I, III, and V) clustered within the cluster 4 lineage, which mainly circulated among MSM in China. This recombinant differed from previously reported CRF01_ AE and CRF07_BC recombinant forms. The continuous emergence of novel recombinants increases the genetic complexity of HIV-1 in Hebei. Further measures are needed to monitor the molecular epidemiological characteristics of HIV-1 to help control the spread of infections.