Aggressive new HIV strain detected in Cuba

[Luiz 4,253]

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2015/02/14/Aggressive-new-HIV-strain-detected-in-Cuba/2421423945549/

 

 

A new HIV strain in some patients in Cuba appears to be much more aggressive and can develop into AIDS within three years of infection. Researchers said the progression happens so fast that treatment with antiretroviral d--gs may come too late.
Without treatment, HIV infection usually takes 5 to 10 years to turn into AIDS, according to Anne-Mieke Vandamme, a medical professor at Belgium's University of Leuvan. According to the study, published in the journal EBioMedicine, Vandamme was alerted to the new aggressive strain of HIV by Cuban health officials who wanted to find out what was happening.

"So this group of patients that progressed very fast, they were all recently infected," Vandamme explained to Voice of America. "And we know that because they had been HIV negative tested one or a maximum two years before."

None of the patients had received treatment for the virus, and all of the patients infected with the mutated strain of HIV developed AIDS within three years.

While fast progression of HIV to AIDS is usually the result of the patient's weak immune system rather than the particular subtype of HIV, what's happening in Cuba is different.

"Here we had a variant of HIV that we found only in the group that was progressing fast. Not in the other two groups. We focused in on this variant [and] tried to find out what was different. And we saw it was a recombinant of three different subtypes."

The new variant, named CRF19, is a combination of HIV subtypes A, D and G.

HIV normally infects cells by attaching itself to what is called a co-receptor, and the transition to AIDS usually occurs when the virus switches -- after many years -- from co-receptor CCR5 to co-receptor CXCR4. The new strain makes the switch much faster.

The variant has been observed in Africa, but in too few cases to be fully studied. Researchers said the strain is more widespread in Cuba.


While the aggressive form of HIV responds to most antiretroviral d--gs, people may not realize they have AIDS until it's too late for treatment to do any good. Vandamme said it's vital for people having unprotected s-x with multiple partners to be tested for HIV early and often.

 

 

 

[SissyFromSpace 20,884]

im just never going to have s-x ever again.

 

 

id rather jerk off, use s-x toys and imagine things. its just....no. not ever again.

[Jan 219]

 

 

I need to get tested tbh.

[Haroon 49,685]

Why hadn't these patients recieved treatment for the virus? That is rather frightening Better to be diagnosed asap so treatment can begin as early as can be, on top of preventative measures in the first place of course

[Stephen 30,433]

ugh

 

I need to get tested tbh.

 

tbh

[Valextra 58]

[Economy 53,090]

eish

[xoxo cupcakke 4,781]

Inb4 American conspiracy theory

Seriously, though, this is frightening. This can easily spread to the US and the surrounding Caribbean countries which could then spread to Mexico and South America

[squeala 875]

why does this make me feel gross

[TheOriginalOne 11,647]

It's so close :ohno:

[VISION 52]

And it happens right after gays started using this anti-HIV medicine and commit unprotected s-x

Always use condom!

[Altair 2,003]

whats so hard about putting a condom on?

Y'all are nasty for having unprotected s-x tbh.

[Gohan 16,898]

Along with cancers, AIDS is the worst kind of illness in the world :ohno:

[mic 1,415]

Thanks god I just got tested after 3 months of no s-x

[RAMROD 118,006]

Inb4 everyone starts to ask "where are you from?"

and ran away asap when they say "Cuba" :eww: