About the Authors

Victoria L. Demetriou

Affiliation Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

David A. M. C. van de Vijver

Affiliation Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Ioanna Kousiappa

Affiliation Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

Claudia Balotta

Affiliation Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

Bonaventura Clotet

Affiliation IrsiCaixa Foundation, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain

Zehava Grossman

Affiliation National HIV Reference Lab, Central Virology, Public Health Laboratories, MOH Central Virology, Sheba Medical Centre, Ramat Gan, Israel

Louise B. Jørgensen

Affiliation Retrovirus Laboratory, Division of Diagnostic Microbiology, Department of Virology, Statens Serum Institut Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Snjezana Z. Lepej

Affiliation University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Zagreb, Croatia

Itzchak Levy

Affiliation Infectious Diseases Unit, Sheba Medical Centre, Ramat-Gan, Israel

Claus Nielsen

Affiliation Retrovirus Laboratory, Division of Diagnostic Microbiology, Department of Virology, Statens Serum Institut Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Dimitrios Paraskevis

Affiliation National Retrovirus Reference Centre, Department of Hygiene Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Mario Poljak

Affiliation Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Francois Roman

Affiliation Retrovirology Laboratory, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, National Service of Infectious Diseases, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Lidia Ruiz

Affiliation IrsiCaixa Foundation, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain

Jean-Claude Schmidt

Affiliation Retrovirology Laboratory, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, National Service of Infectious Diseases, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Anne-Mieke Vandamme

Affiliation Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium

Kristel Van Laethem

Affiliation Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium

Jurgen Vercauteren

Affiliation Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium

Leondios G. Kostrikis

lkostrik@ucy.ac.cy

Affiliation Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: LGK. Performed the experiments: VLD IK CB BC ZG LBJ SZL IL CN DP MP FR LR JCS AMV KVL LGK. Analyzed the data: VLD DAMCvdV IK CB BC ZG LBJ SZL IL CN DP MP FR LR JCS AMV KVL JV LGK. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: CB BC ZG LBJ SZL IL CN DP MP FR LR JCS AMV KVL JV LGK. Wrote the paper: VLD DAMCvdV LGK. Helped with coordination of the project and assisted in setting up the real-time assay: VLD. Statistical analysis and interpretation of results: DAMCvdV. Data collection and manuscript preparation: IK. Organisation of sampling, sample preparation, and data collection: CB BC ZG LBJ SZL IL CN DP MP FR LR JCS AMV KVL. Organisation of data collection and contribution: JV. Devised original hypothesis: LGK. Coordinated the study: LGK.