Update on HIV-1 Strain and Transmitted Drug Resistance in Canada

'HIV is a significant public health challenge. A key component in monitoring the epidemicis surveillance on HIV subtypes and drug resistance. Subtype B historically constituted over 95% of new diagnoses in Canada; however, the proportion of non-B subtypes has gradually been increasing and now represents about 20% of new diagnoses. Surveillance on HIV subtypes informs vaccine development and provides the opportunity to examine potential variation in transmission risk and treatment success by subtype. Moreover, national HIV drug resistance surveillance is important since transmission of drug-resistant HIV impacts treatment and also prevention and control activities. In 1998, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) created the Canadian HIV Strain and Drug Resistance Surveillance Program (SDR Program) to monitor HIV-1 subtypes and pre-treatment antiretroviral resistance in Canada. Six provinces collaborate with PHAC on this initiative: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia'--Executive summary, p. 3.