Population mobility and the changing epidemics of HIV-2 in Portugal

TY - JOUR

T1 - Population mobility and the changing epidemics of HIV-2 in Portugal

AU - Carvalho, A C

AU - Valadas, E

AU - França, L

AU - Carvalho, C

AU - Aleixo, M J

AU - Mendez, J

AU - Marques, Rita

AU - Sarmento, A

AU - Doroana, M

AU - Antunes, F

AU - Branco, T

AU - Aguas, M

AU - Sarmento E Castro, R

AU - Lazarus, J V

AU - Barros, H

N1 - © 2011 British HIV Association.

PY - 2012/4

Y1 - 2012/4

N2 - Introduction: Portugal is the European country with the highest frequency of HIV-2 infection, which is mainly concentrated in West Africa. The cumulative number of notified HIV-2 infections in Portugal was 1813 by the end of December 2008. To better characterize the dynamics of HIV-2 infection in the country and to obtain data that may be of use in the prevention of the spread of HIV-2, we evaluated a large pooled sample of patients. Patients and methods: Five Portuguese hospitals provided data on HIV-2-infected patients from 1984 to the end of 2007. Data concerning demographic characteristics and clinical variables were extracted. Patients were stratified according to date of diagnosis in approximately 5-year categories. Results: The sample included 442 patients, accounting for 37% of all HIV-2 infections notified in Portugal during that period. HIV-2-infected patients showed clearly different characteristics according to the period of diagnosis. Until 2000, the majority of HIV-2-infected patients were Portuguese-born males living in the north of the country. From 2000 to 2007, most of the patients diagnosed with HIV-2 infection had a West African origin, were predominantly female and were living in the capital, Lisbon. The average age at diagnosis and loss to follow-up significantly increased over time. Conclusion: HIV-2 infection has been documented in Portugal since the early 1980s and its epidemiology appears to reflect changes in population movement. These include the movements of soldiers and repatriates from African territories during the independence wars and, later, migration and mobility from high-endemicity areas. The findings of this study stress the importance of promoting migrant-sensitive health care.

AB - Introduction: Portugal is the European country with the highest frequency of HIV-2 infection, which is mainly concentrated in West Africa. The cumulative number of notified HIV-2 infections in Portugal was 1813 by the end of December 2008. To better characterize the dynamics of HIV-2 infection in the country and to obtain data that may be of use in the prevention of the spread of HIV-2, we evaluated a large pooled sample of patients. Patients and methods: Five Portuguese hospitals provided data on HIV-2-infected patients from 1984 to the end of 2007. Data concerning demographic characteristics and clinical variables were extracted. Patients were stratified according to date of diagnosis in approximately 5-year categories. Results: The sample included 442 patients, accounting for 37% of all HIV-2 infections notified in Portugal during that period. HIV-2-infected patients showed clearly different characteristics according to the period of diagnosis. Until 2000, the majority of HIV-2-infected patients were Portuguese-born males living in the north of the country. From 2000 to 2007, most of the patients diagnosed with HIV-2 infection had a West African origin, were predominantly female and were living in the capital, Lisbon. The average age at diagnosis and loss to follow-up significantly increased over time. Conclusion: HIV-2 infection has been documented in Portugal since the early 1980s and its epidemiology appears to reflect changes in population movement. These include the movements of soldiers and repatriates from African territories during the independence wars and, later, migration and mobility from high-endemicity areas. The findings of this study stress the importance of promoting migrant-sensitive health care.

KW - Adult

KW - Female

KW - HIV Infections

KW - HIV-2

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Population Dynamics

KW - Portugal

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1111/j.1468-1293.2011.00963.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1468-1293.2011.00963.x

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 22136745

SN - 1543-5954

VL - 13

SP - 219

EP - 225

JO - HIV Medicine Self-Directed Study Guide

JF - HIV Medicine Self-Directed Study Guide

IS - 4

ER -