Near full-length genome sequence of a novel HIV-1 second-generation recombinant form (CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC) detected among men who have sex with men in Tianjin, China.

In recent years, men who have sex with men (MSM) has been the most affected population with fastest growing HIV prevalence in China. In our study, a novel CRF01_AE/07_BC HIV-1 recombinant form (TJIH0069), with four unique breakpoints in the pol, vpr, and nef gene regions, was identified among MSM in Tianjin City in north China. The CRF01_AE regions (the regions I, III, V) of the recombinant are all clustered together with a previously described sequence (HQ215555), which was exclusively circulating among MSM in Shijiazhuang city of Hebei Province in north China. The CRF07_BC regions (II and Ⅳ) are clustered with BJ070032 and JX960600, which were discovered from MSM population in north China. The continuously emergence of similar pattern of recombinant strain between the two MSM adapted existing CRFs highlights the importance to monitor potential new CRF for early and precising control and prevention.