Identification of Two Novel HIV-1 Unique Recombinant Forms Involving CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC Among ART-Failing Patients in Hebei, China

The continuous HIV-1 recombination forms circulating in China poses a persistent challenge to epidemic control. And this study identifies two novel unique recombinant forms (URFs), BDNY017 and BDK025, from antiretroviral therapy (ART)-failing patients in Hebei Province. Near full-length genomic analysis revealed that BDNY017 is a triple mosaic of CRF08_BC, CRF07_BC, and subtype B, whereas BDK025 is a dual recombinant of CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC. Genotypic resistance testing further uncovered M184V, A98G, and E138K mutations in BDNY017, while BDK025 carried no major pol-region resistance mutations. Notably, the report of CRF08_BC-involved URFs in northern China, expanding the known geographic distribution of such recombinants beyond their traditional southwestern focus and underscoring the urgent need for enhanced molecular surveillance, particularly among ART-failing individuals, to track emerging recombinants and assess their potential impact on treatment outcomes and transmission dynamics.