New AIDS virus Options

[BlackCelicaGT94]

Im not sure if they classify it is as AIDS or HIV! but u get it and ur a gonner. No medicine can help you. They say its in New York but obviously people travel so its in other places too. How crazy is this? some people say that AIDS was made to control the population of some races. CRAZY!

Anyways make sure you WRAP it up this V-Day!



Natalie

This post has been edited by BlackCelicaGT94: Feb 14, 2005 - 2:04 PM

[BlackCelicaGT94]

February 12, 2005 -- A frightening, never-before-seen "superstrain" of the AIDS virus - unimaginably aggressive and resistant to nearly all treatments - has been found in New York City, alarmed health officials announced yesterday.

A gay, 40-something city man recently diagnosed with the new virulent strain is believed to be the first known case in the world.


The most striking characteristic of the strain is that full-blown AIDS sets in with lightning speed after HIV infection - as quick as two to three months, in contrast to the nine- to 10-year lag that is normally the case when a victim is untreated.


"We've not seen a case like this before," city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden said at a press conference yesterday.




"We've identified this strain of HIV that is difficult or impossible to treat and which appears to progress rapidly to AIDS."


Ronald Valdiserri, a deputy director at the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, said: "We're talking about a single case, but clearly the fact that we are dealing with such broad resistance of drugs and the rapid clinical progression is quite alarming.


"We have to use this as a wake-up call to remember that HIV is still a formidable adversary," he added, noting that federal health officials aren't aware of another case like this in the United States or elsewhere.


Kendall Smith, an HIV researcher at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, said that because the virus is constantly mutating, a possible superstrain "has been the dark shadow lurking behind us."


The superstrain was dubbed "3-DCR HIV" because it's resistant to three of the four HIV drug classes that are currently in use, which amounts to 19 of 20 drugs that are rendered useless.


The infected city man, who was diagnosed in December, is believed to have contracted HIV in October. He already has progressed to full-blown AIDS, officials said.


The man, whose name was not released, engaged in high-risk sexual practices with multiple male partners, officials said. They are now trying to locate his partners.


The man's judgment was clouded because he was taking the drug crystal methamphetamine, which causes users to lose their inhibitions.


While city officials don't know how wide the new virus has spread, they are ramping up safe-sex messages.


Ana Oliveira, executive director of Gay Men's Health Crisis, said fighting crystal meth and other drugs is instrumental in bringing down rates of HIV infection.


"This is a story of somebody who remained HIV-negative for over 40 years which is a success, but under the influence of crystal meth made decisions and took risks," Oliveira said of the infected city man.


There are about 88,000 New Yorkers living with HIV.