Surveillance of Transmitted HIV Drug Resistance in Antiretroviral-Naive Patients Aged less than 25 Years, in Bangkok, Thailand

Emergence of transmitted HIV drug resistance (TDR) is a concern after global scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART). World Health Organization had developed threshold survey method for surveillance of TDR in resource-limited countries. ART in Thailand has been scaling up for >10 years. To evaluate the current TDR in Thailand, a cross-sectional study was conducted among antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients aged <25 years who newly visited infectious disease clinic in a university hospital, in 2011. HIV genotypic-resistance test was performed. World Health Organization 2009 surveillance drug-resistance mutations were used to define TDR. Of 50 patients, the prevalence of TDR was 4%. Of 2 patients with TDR, 1 had K103N and the other had Y181C mutations. Transmitted HIV drug resistance is emerging in Thailand after a decade of rapid scale-up of ART. Interventions to prevent TDR at the population level are essentially needed in Thailand. Surveillance for TDR in Thailand has to be regularly performed.