Seroprevalence of antibodies to HIV among injecting drug users in Kathmandu and HIV subtyping

Abstract

Blood samples from two hundred and twenty injecting drug users were collected for antibodies to HIV between July 1997 to June 1998.
ELISA tests were performed in duplicate on all the serum samples. One hundred and five samples 105/220 (47.7%) were tested positive for antibodies to HIV. ELISA positive samples were rechecked by western blot and confirmed to have HIV-1. Bands of gp160, gp120, gp40, p24, p31, p55 of HIV-1 were present in positive samples.Results of HIV subtyping showed subtype C, similar to the one prevalent in the Indian subcontinent.
Among one hundred and five positive cases, ninety-nine were male and six were female, M:F ratio 16.5:1. The youngest age of HIV positive case was 13 years old and the oldest was 45 years of age. The majority (70) was between the age of 20-29 years of age. The most common drug used was "Tidigesic" (bupronorphine) (90/105), followed by brown sugar (10/105), nitrazepam (4/105), and "Fortwin" (1/105). Ninety-four HIV positive persons gave the history of sharing needles among more than two persons. Frequency of drugs used varied from two times a day to maximum six. HIV positive cases were detected from 18 districts of Nepal. The majority (38/105) of the HIV positive cases were residents of Kathmandu.