Multiple introductions of HIV into men who have sex with men were found in Zhengzhou City, China.

Zhengzhou is the capital of Henan province, where severe HIV prevalence was found in former paid plasma donors. In recent years, the HIV epidemic in men who have sex with men (MSM) increased rapidly in the city. To explore the subtype distribution and genetic characterization of HIV in MSM in Zhengzhou city, phylogenetic analysis was fulfilled based on the full-length gag, pol, and partial env gene. A total of 31 HIV-1-seropositive MSM individuals were enrolled. The full length gag, pol, and partial env gene were amplified and sequenced. Multiple subtypes, including CRF01_AE (45.2%), subtype B (38.7%), and CRF07_BC (16.1%), were identified. Close phylogenetic relationships among our strains with strains from the Henan local area, Hebei MSM population, Beijing area, and Liaoning area were found, suggesting a multiple introduction of HIV into the population. The results will provide clues for prevention and for changes in behavior in the Henan MSM population and also detailed sequence data for vaccine design.