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Since 15 of those cases come from the Netherlands, the researchers analyzed data from a cohort of over 6,700 Dutch HIV patients. Scientists first identified VB in 17 HIV-positive individuals from the BEEHIVE project that collects samples from across Europe and Uganda. It also ensures that HIV is suppressed as quickly as possible, which prevents transmission to other individuals,” says senior author Professor Christophe Fraser. This limits the amount of time HIV can damage an individual’s immune system and jeopardize their health. “Our findings emphasize the importance of World Health Organization guidance that individuals at risk of acquiring HIV have access to regular testing to allow early diagnosis, followed by immediate treatment.
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By the time of a patient’s diagnosis with the new variant, they were vulnerable to full-blown AIDS within two to three years. Also known as CD4 cells, T cells are special cells in the immune system that fight off infections. Moreover, the rate of decline in T cells – the hallmark of immune system damage – occurs twice as fast in patients with VB. They were also more likely to transmit the virus to others. Patients with VB had a viral load – the virus level in the blood – between 3.5 and 5.5 times higher than the typical HIV strain. Discovery of the VB variant demonstrated this, providing a rare example of the risk posed by viral virulence evolution,” says lead author Dr. “Before this study, the genetics of the HIV virus were known to be relevant for virulence, implying that the evolution of a new variant could change its impact on health. The AIDS-causing virus affects 38 million people worldwide and has claimed 33 million lives. Scientists call this variant “VB” (virulent subtype B) and add that it may also have implications for COVID-19, since continuous mutations keep fueling the ongoing pandemic.įor many years, there have been concerns this could arise in HIV and the new study appears to confirm this possibility. Individuals with an HIV infection need quick treatment, before the virus can ravage their immune system. The new variant is highly virulent and potentially lethal without early detection, according to researchers from the University of Oxford. OXFORD, United Kingdom ( ) – A more aggressive HIV strain that can cause patients to develop AIDS twice as fast has been discovered in the Netherlands.