HIV-2 is the second type of the human immunodeficiency virus, a retrovirus closely related to HIV-1 but genetically distinct, with which it shares the capacity to infect and deplete CD4-positive T lymphocytes and to cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Endemic primarily to West Africa and first identified there…
HIV-2 is the second type of the human immunodeficiency virus, a retrovirus closely related to HIV-1 but genetically distinct, with which it shares the capacity to infect and deplete CD4-positive T lymphocytes and to cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Endemic primarily to West Africa and first identified there in the 1980s, HIV-2 is generally characterized by lower transmissibility, slower clinical progression, and often lower plasma viral loads than HIV-1, and it differs in important respects for diagnosis and treatment, including intrinsic resistance to certain antiretroviral classes and the need for assays able to distinguish the two types. Like HIV-1 it is transmitted through infected body fluids, including by sexual contact and parenteral exposure. Accurate differentiation matters for therapy selection, monitoring, and epidemiology. The peer-reviewed research gathered here in the journal's HIV and infectious-disease corpus addresses HIV more broadly, including CD4 count and viral load in patients on antiretroviral therapy, disclosure of HIV diagnosis to infected children on treatment, HIV-associated conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma, demographic and epidemiologic patterns of HIV occurrence, false-positive rapid HIV testing, sociocultural barriers to care for HIV-affected children, and prevention among adolescents and people living with HIV. These studies situate the immunodeficiency viruses within their clinical, diagnostic, and epidemiologic context, of which HIV-2 forms a regionally important part.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 63 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Hiv-2, linking to each citing work.