Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2: The Neglected Threat

West Africa has the highest prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-2 infection in the world, but a high number of cases has been recognized in Europe, India, and the United States. The virus is less transmissible than HIV-1, with sexual contacts being the most frequent route of acquisition. In the absence of specific antiretroviral therapy, most HIV-2 carriers will develop AIDS. Although, it requires more time than HIV-1 infection, CD4+ T cell decline occurs more slowly in HIV-2 than in HIV-1 patients. HIV-2 is resistant to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and some protease inhibitors. Misdiagnosis of HIV-2 in patients mistakenly considered HIV-1-positive or in those with dual infections can cause treatment failures with undetectable HIV-1 RNA. In this era of global integration, clinicians must be aware of when to consider the diagnosis of HIV-2 infection and how to test for this virus. Although there is debate regarding when therapy should be initiated and which regimen should be chosen, recent trials have provided important information on treatment options for HIV-2 infection. In this review, we focus mainly on data available and on the insight they offer about molecular epidemiology, clinical presentation, antiretroviral therapy, and diagnostic tests of HIV-2 infection.