CRF19

Could New HIV Strain Cross the Atlantic? Fears of the Spread of Aggressive HIV from Cuba

Medicine & Technology Feb 15, 2015

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?

New HIV Strain in Cuba Has Researchers Rushing to Stop Fast Progression of AIDS

Feb 15, 2015

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.