Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has a high propensity for recombination. The epidemic in South Africa is predominantly driven by HIV-1 subtype C with occasional description of non-subtype C and intersubtype recombinant viruses. This report presents the genetic analysis of a unique recombinant variant from northern South Africa comprised exclusively of subsubtype A1 and subtype C parental viruses. Boot scanning analysis of the near full-length genome with the jumping profile Hidden Markov Model revealed a genomic arrangement with seven breakpoints of recombination alternating between subsubtype A1 and subtype C. Apparently, this is the first report of a unique HIV-1 A1/C recombinant form from northern South Africa and probably the fifth from South Africa. The epidemiologic implication of this variant is unknown.
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