New Strain of AIDS...fast onset, resistant to drugs

[markomalley]

Hopefully, anybody to whom this might apply will have already been made aware of this, but on the off chance that they might not have, the following was announced in NYC (via Reuters):

quote:

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New York Warns of Fast, Resistant Strain of HIV

Sat Feb 12, 2005 06:32 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - One day after the discovery of a drug-resistant, fast-developing AIDS case in New York prompted city health officials to announce an alert, leading experts said on Saturday there may be little cause for alarm.

"There is absolutely no evidence that this is a super virus," Dr. Robert Gallo, director of the University of Maryland's Institute for Human Virology, told Reuters. Gallo is a co-discoverer of HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.

A New York City health department spokeswoman stood by the city's handling of the case.

New York health officials announced on Friday that "a highly resistant strain of a rapidly progressive" HIV had been diagnosed for the first time in a city resident.

The case was found in an unidentified man in his 40s who had multiple male partners and unprotected anal sex, often while using the illegal drug crystal methamphetamine. The man developed AIDS as early as 2-3 months after infection, and no more than 20 months, the officials said.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, called the case a potential major problem and the department issued an alert to hospitals and doctors to test for evidence of the strain of HIV.

The strain was resistant to three of the four classes of AIDS drugs, and the concern was compounded by the fast onset of the disease, the health department said.

"It's a wake-up call to men who have sex with men, particularly those who may use crystal methamphetamine," Frieden said in a statement on the department's Web site (www.nyc.gov/health).

Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant often used in conjunction with sex.

(snip)

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BTW, although I have my opinions, this goes beyond personal opinion or doctrinal stand. Please be careful out there folks. This looks like a particularly nasty strand. Hopefully they can develop something quickly that will hold this one off.

[krys]

The way things are today, it won't be long until it crosses over into women as well.

Viruses are tricky...they change all the time. I wonder how many strains of this one already exist by now!

[vickles]

Thankyou, whatever our beliefs are this is something that is of health concern.

I agree with Krys that it is concern for us women also as it might cross over to us women.

[markomalley]

You have a really good point, Vickles. But even if it never crossed over into women, heterosexual men, or children, it is still a horrible thing. With the old-fashioned HIV, a person could have as much as 10 years of symptom-free life after having the virus detected and about 18 months after the onset of AIDS until death (with meds). With this one, 3 months. That is a hard thing for anybody, no matter what the demographic.

[vickles]

Very true, mark!!!!!!!!! I totally agree with you.