A considerable proportion of HIV transmissions occur when someone is newly infected with the virus or has interrupted antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, aidsmap reports. Publishing their findings in Clinical Infectious Diseases, researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of stored blood samples from Swiss people with HIV.

The researchers used genetic analysis to detect HIV with similar genetics in order to determine probable transmission clusters. They conducted nearly 20,000 genetic sequences from blood samples taken from about 11,000 individuals, who were diagnosed with the virus between 1984 and 2014.  The investigators were able to estimate the date of transmission of about 4,079 of these individuals. Eighty-two percent of them were diagnosed within a year of infection.

The researchers ultimately found that 44 percent of transmissions were linked with someone who was newly infected, while 14 percent were connected with a treatment interruption.

To read the aidsmap article, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.