Though advances in HIV research and treatment have come to find ways of mitigating the virus, the disease continues to affects millions worldwide. And when the virus moves quickly, so does fear. In light of the discovery of a new strain of HIV, many are left wondering--could you too be at risk for contracting the disease?
In a new study published in the journal EBioMedicine, researchers with Belgium's University of Leuvan report the discovery of a new strain of HIV which may prove to be far more lethal to patients in the West. Originally found in patients in Cuba, the new strain poses particular threats to those infected with HIV as it can develop into AIDS within three years of infection. Though efforts have significantly lowered the infection rates of HIV, as well as prolonged lives with the help of antiretroviral drugs, researchers fear that the fast-moving virus may advance too quickly to treat.
The new aggressive form of the disease cuts the window of treatment, which on average is five to ten years after infection until the virus enters the stages of AIDS, to less than three years before patients have full-blown AIDS. And though many antiretroviral cocktails have proven effective in slowing down the progression of the disease, researchers fear that without early detection methods the fast-acting strain may render the aid of drugs too little too late.
Knowing that fast progression of HIV is typically attributed to the compromised immunological responses of the individuals, researchers led by study author Anne-Mieke Vandamme investigated 73 recently infected patients and found that their collective immune systems weren't to blame for the aggressive infection. Instead, it was a new form of the disease altogether.
"Here we had a variant of HIV that we found only in the group that was progressing fast; not in the other two groups" Vandamme says. "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" reveals a combination of HIV subtypes A, D and G, and is far faster-acting than strains within the general populous. Though researchers believe that it is not the first time that this strain of the virus has been seen.
The variant has also been observed in Africa, though in too small of numbers to be fully researched. However, the strain is far more widespread in Cuba, providing researchers with a lot opportunities to track the infection, and find out how the new combination behaves.
While researchers believe that it is possible that the new mutated form of the virus may make its way to other shores, past experience with the strain in Africa has proven that the fast-acting strain may just remain an isolated incident. As Cuba is an island nation, the virus remains rather removed from other populations. And current trade embargos with Cuba also keep possible transmission contact low. Researchers are urging those who have had possible exposure, or who have engaged in unprotected sex with multiple partners to be tested early and often.
