RESISTANT HIV STRAIN
Health officials remain concerned tonight over the case reported in New York City of a man who has a rapidly progressive case of AIDS that is also resistant to multiple medications.
Is this cause for alarm?
Despite being treated with what are now powerful medicines, his case has progressed quickly, and it has been shown he is resistant. He’s also had sex with many other men.
Now, it’s a bit of a wait and watch game, as public health officials plead with Americans to do one thing- practice safe sex.
“Cases like this help remind us as a society we need to continue to focus on HIV prevention,” says Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, Deputy Director of CDC’s National Center for HIV, STD, and TB prevention.
It’s a sign to put the guard back up, so to speak, and get Americans to practice safe sex, especially following the case of this gay man who used drugs-namely, crystal meth-lost his inhibition, practiced unsafe sex with anonymous men, contracted HIV and developed AIDS.
But this case appears to be different.
The drugs that are a huge success story, keeping AIDS patients alive and healthy, didn’t work at all, and his illness progressed incredibly quickly. Some are calling this new HIV strain a super virus.
“We are concerned. We don’t want to panic, or for people to panic,” says Valdisseri. “We certainly have seen instances of rapid progression of HIV in the past in association of host factors and genetic factors of virus. What does appear to be new is an association between the rapid progression and the broad drug resistance which is not a good combination but clearly part of what NY is investigating.”
Dr. Valdiserri emphasizes there has been only one case like this reported so far.
“CDC is not aware of any confirmed additional cases as we have told the media. There are several cases under investigation to see if they are genetically linked, but we not aware of any connection at this point in time,” Valdiserri insists. “In the meantime, people can protect themselves by continuing to avoid exposure to HIV, and if they’re free of HIV, they need to take precautions to stay that way.”
New York has not asked for CDC’s official assistance with the case, but is closely following the city’s investigation into the possibility of a new strain of HIV.
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