Clinical guidelines for the antiretroviral management of HIV disease

Abstract

Both known species of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2, originated in Africa (HIV-1 from Central Africa and HIV-2 from West Africa) as zoonotic infections from primate hosts. Human infection is thought to have been facilitated during the slaughtering of primates for the bush meat trade. About 65% of the global total of HIV infection is located in sub-Saharan Africa, with South Africa having the highest number of persons, 5-6 million, living with HIV.¹ HIV-1, which is found throughout the world and is responsible for the majority of cases of HIV infection, has been subdivided into 10 subtypes A to J (also known as clades or genotypes). Within the South African context, reference to HIV implies HIV-1 subtype C.²