The first case of HIV-2 infection was detected in Sichuan

A study published in the September 2025 issue of the journal "Chinese Journal of AIDS and STDs" reported the diagnosis of the first case of HIV-2 infection in Sichuan Province.

The case was discovered in January 2025 in a county under the jurisdiction of Meishan City, Sichuan Province. After a rigorous series of laboratory tests and epidemiological investigations, HIV-2 infection was ultimately confirmed.

The infected person was a 67-year-old woman who reported having had eight sexual contacts.

HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is divided into two types: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Experts explain the clinical rarity of HIV-2 in China for two main reasons. First, the number of HIV-2 infections in China is extremely small; second, compared with HIV-1, HIV-2 is less transmissible and has a lower mortality rate.