By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cybersecurity
    4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks
    October 24, 2021
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    Latest News
    Health Benefits of Taking a Vacation to Reduce Your Stress
    September 27, 2023
    First Aid Training Enhancing Workplace Health and Safety
    September 25, 2023
    Beyond the Clinic: Medical Surveys Are a Roadmap to Passive Income for Doctors
    September 23, 2023
    5 Self-Care Habits to Help You Live an A+ Life
    September 21, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Looking Ahead to an Unpredictable Future
    November 2, 2011
    mHealth Summit Conference 2011: Thoughts and Takeaways
    December 7, 2011
    PFCD 2011 Year in Review & Looking Ahead to 2012
    January 6, 2012
    Latest News
    Job Seekers with Disabilities Should at Health Insurance Benefits
    September 12, 2023
    Reasons That Drug Prices Are Rising to Unsustainable Levels
    September 12, 2023
    How Revenue Lifecycle Management Helps Healthcare Providers to Optimize Business Operations
    September 6, 2023
    The Hidden Benefits of Practice Exams for Medical Professionals
    September 6, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Aggressive New HIV Strain In West Africa Develops Into AIDS More Rapidly
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > News > Aggressive New HIV Strain In West Africa Develops Into AIDS More Rapidly
NewsSpecialties

Aggressive New HIV Strain In West Africa Develops Into AIDS More Rapidly

Susan Scutti
Last updated: 2013/12/03 at 9:11 AM
Susan Scutti
Share
4 Min Read
HIV
SHARE

HIVOver 60 epidemic strains of HIV-1 exist in the world, so when researchers discovered a new one in West Africa, the only alarm bell that sounded was the fact that this new strain progresses very rapidly. This new bug can progress from infection to the development of AIDS in just about five years.

HIVOver 60 epidemic strains of HIV-1 exist in the world, so when researchers discovered a new one in West Africa, the only alarm bell that sounded was the fact that this new strain progresses very rapidly. This new bug can progress from infection to the development of AIDS in just about five years. “Individuals infected with [the new strain] have among the fastest progression rates to AIDS reported to date,” wrote the authors in their study.

Recombinant Forms

The new strain is known as a recombinant form of the virus; geographic regions are often dominated by only one or two epidemic strains of HIV, and sometimes a person may become infected with two different strains, usually because they have traveled to or met someone from another region. In such cases, two strains of the virus may meld and form a “recombinant.” The recombinant discovered by the Swedish researchers, during long-term follow-up of HIV-infected individuals in Guinea-Bissau, is called A3/02 and is a cross between the most common strains, 02AG and A3, found in that region of West Africa. So far, the new strain has only been identified in West Africa.

“Recombinants seem to be more vigorous and more aggressive than the strains from which they developed,” Angelica Palm, a doctoral student at Lund University, explained in a press release. In this case, the rate of progression, developing from infection to AIDS, is up to two-and-a-half years faster than either of the parent strains.

More Read

hearing health and melbourne music scene

Melbourne’s Music Scene: A Symphony for Your Senses

Can Workers Compensation Help with Workplace Injuries?
Small Car Accidents Can Cause Surprisingly Serious Injuries
How To Make Dental Veneers Last a Lifetime
Getting Compensation to Cover Car Accident Injury Bills

Global spread of different recombinants is increasing, studies suggest, particularly in countries and regions with high levels of immigration. “HIV is an extremely dynamic and variable virus,” Patrik Medstrand, professor of Clinical Virology at Lund University, explained. “New subtypes and recombinant forms of HIV-1 have been introduced to our part of the world, and it is highly likely that there are a large number of circulating recombinants of which we know little or nothing. We therefore need to be aware of how the HIV-1 epidemic changes over time.”

The trend in areas of high population flows is toward a mixed and complex HIV flora, a marked change from the earliest days of the epidemic, when only a small number of non-recombinant variants of the virus were most prevalent. Of the two major types of the virus, HIV-1 and HIV-2 are similar in the way they are transmitted, but HIV-1 is the cause of the worldwide pandemic while HIV-2 is found in West Africa but rarely elsewhere. The period between infection and the development of AIDS is longer in the case of HIV-2. Scientists subdivide these types into four groups and then further divide them into the numerous strains. In future research, Angelica Palm and her colleagues hope to continue researching the presence of recombinant viruses among HIV carriers in Europe and the characteristics of such strains.

Source: Palm AA, Medstrand P, Esbjornsson J, et al. Faster Progression to AIDS and AIDS-Related Death Among Seroincident Individuals Infected With Recombinant HIV-1 A3/CRF02_AG Compared With Sub-subtype A3. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2013.

(shutterstock)

TAGGED: AIDS, HIV

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Susan Scutti December 3, 2013
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article pharma and social media ROI The Three Letters That Kill Social Media in Pharma
Next Article 23andMe FDA warning BioPharma Beat: 23andMe – Now What?

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

Andropause hormonal decline
The Benefits of TRT for Andropause and Hormonal Decline
Wellness September 28, 2023
Cancer Prevention
The Importance of Lipoma Examination in Cancer Prevention
Cancer September 28, 2023
dental implant
Cost Analysis of Dental Implants in Australia
Dental health September 28, 2023
View,Of,Niagara,Falls,In,Autumn
Health Benefits of Taking a Vacation to Reduce Your Stress
Health September 27, 2023

You Might also Like

Cancer Prevention
Cancer

The Importance of Lipoma Examination in Cancer Prevention

September 28, 2023
dental implant
Dental health

Cost Analysis of Dental Implants in Australia

September 28, 2023
tips for neurodivergent people being pulled over
News

Tips for People with Neurodivergent Disorders Being Pulled Over

September 21, 2023
Dermatology and skin wellness
SkinSpecialties

The Intersection Of Dermatology And Wellness: A Holistic Approach To Skin Health

September 11, 2023
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US
© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?