BACKGROUND: A significant increase in HIV-1 diagnoses was reported among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in the Athens (17-fold) and Bucharest (9-fold) metropolitan areas starting 2011. METHODS: Molecular analyses were conducted on HIV-1 sequences from IDUs comprising 51% and 20% of the diagnosed cases among IDUs during 2011-2013 for Greece and Romania, respectively. Phylodynamic analyses were performed using the newly developed birth-death serial skyline model which allows estimating of important epidemiological parameters, as implemented in BEAST programme. RESULTS: Most infections (>90%) occurred within four and three IDU local transmission networks in Athens and Bucharest, respectively. For all Romanian clusters, the viral strains originated from local circulating strains, whereas in Athens, the local strains seeded only two of the four sub-outbreaks. Birth-death skyline plots suggest a more explosive nature for sub-outbreaks in Bucharest than in Athens. In Athens, two sub-outbreaks had been controlled (Re<1.0) by 2013 and two appeared to be endemic (Re∼1). In Bucharest one outbreak continued to expand (Re>1.0) and two had been controlled (Re<1.0). The lead times were shorter for the outbreak in Athens than in Bucharest. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced molecular surveillance proved useful to gain information about the origin, causal pathways, dispersal patterns and transmission dynamics of the outbreaks that can be useful in a public health setting.
BACKGROUND: A significant increase in HIV-1 diagnoses was reported among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in the Athens (17-fold) and Bucharest (9-fold) metropolitan areas starting 2011. METHODS: Molecular analyses were conducted on HIV-1 sequences from IDUs comprising 51% and 20% of the diagnosed cases among IDUs during 2011-2013 for Greece and Romania, respectively. Phylodynamic analyses were performed using the newly developed birth-death serial skyline model which allows estimating of important epidemiological parameters, as implemented in BEAST programme. RESULTS: Most infections (>90%) occurred within four and three IDU local transmission networks in Athens and Bucharest, respectively. For all Romanian clusters, the viral strains originated from local circulating strains, whereas in Athens, the local strains seeded only two of the four sub-outbreaks. Birth-death skyline plots suggest a more explosive nature for sub-outbreaks in Bucharest than in Athens. In Athens, two sub-outbreaks had been controlled (Re<1.0) by 2013 and two appeared to be endemic (Re∼1). In Bucharest one outbreak continued to expand (Re>1.0) and two had been controlled (Re<1.0). The lead times were shorter for the outbreak in Athens than in Bucharest. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced molecular surveillance proved useful to gain information about the origin, causal pathways, dispersal patterns and transmission dynamics of the outbreaks that can be useful in a public health setting.
Authors: J Ambrosioni; M Hernandez-Meneses; A Téllez; J Pericàs; C Falces; J M Tolosana; B Vidal; M Almela; E Quintana; J Llopis; A Moreno; José M Miro Journal: Curr Infect Dis Rep Date: 2017-05 Impact factor: 3.725
Authors: Mina Psichogiou; George Giallouros; Katerina Pantavou; Eirini Pavlitina; Martha Papadopoulou; Leslie D Williams; Andria Hadjikou; Eleni Kakalou; Athanasios Skoutelis; Konstantinos Protopapas; Anastasia Antoniadou; George Boulmetis; Dimitrios Paraskevis; Angelos Hatzakis; Samuel R Friedman; Georgios K Nikolopoulos Journal: AIDS Care Date: 2019-04-02
Authors: Dimitrios Paraskevis; Georgios K Nikolopoulos; Vana Sypsa; Mina Psichogiou; Katerina Pantavou; Evangelia Kostaki; Timokratis Karamitros; Dimitra Paraskeva; John Schneider; Melpomeni Malliori; Samuel R Friedman; Don C Des Jarlais; Georgios L Daikos; Angelos Hatzakis Journal: Infect Genet Evol Date: 2018-04-10 Impact factor: 3.342
Authors: Foteini Giannou; Georgios K Nikolopoulos; Katerina Pantavou; Vassiliki Benetou; Maria Kantzanou; Vana Sypsa; Leslie D Williams; Samuel R Friedman; Angelos Hatzakis Journal: Curr HIV Res Date: 2017 Impact factor: 1.581
Authors: Dimitrios Paraskevis; Evangelia Kostaki; Georgios K Nikolopoulos; Vana Sypsa; Mina Psichogiou; Julia Del Amo; Ioannis Hodges-Mameletzis; Dimitra Paraskeva; Athanasios Skoutelis; Meni Malliori; Leslie Williams; Samuel R Friedman; Georgios L Daikos; Angelos Hatzakis Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2017-11-29 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: Andria Hadjikou; Ioanna D Pavlopoulou; Katerina Pantavou; Andrea Georgiou; Leslie D Williams; Eirini Christaki; Konstantinos Voskarides; Giagkos Lavranos; Demetris Lamnisos; Enrique R Pouget; Samuel R Friedman; Georgios K Nikolopoulos Journal: AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses Date: 2020-11-26 Impact factor: 2.205