The first case of HIV-2 infection has been detected in Sichuan Province, China—a 67-year-old woman.
According to the medical information platform "Medical Community," the journal Chinese Journal of AIDS & STD published a study in its September issue reporting the diagnosis process of the first HIV-2 patient in Sichuan Province.
The case was discovered in January this year in a county under Meishan City, Sichuan. After a series of rigorous laboratory tests and epidemiological investigations, it was finally confirmed as an HIV-2 infection.
The infected individual is a 67-year-old female who reported having had eight sexual partners.
HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, can be classified into two types: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Experts state that HIV-2 is rarely seen clinically in China, mainly due to two reasons. First, the number of HIV-2 infected individuals in China is extremely low; second, compared to HIV-1, HIV-2 has a lower transmission capacity and lower mortality rate.
According to experts, from the perspective of this HIV-2 case in Sichuan, more effort should be made to promote sexual safety education among the elderly, to reduce the risk of AIDS transmission within senior populations.