Rare, drug-resistant HIV strain diagnosed in New York

	Tweet

A rare, highly virulent and drug-resistant strain of the HIV virus that leads to AIDS has been detected in a New York City man, sparking renewed warnings to the gay community to practise safe sex.

In a statement released Friday, the city’s health department said the new strain, known as 3-DCR HIV , does not respond to three classes of anti-retroviral medication, and also greatly shortens the interval between infection and the onset of full-blown AIDS. 

The first case was diagnosed last week in a man in his late 40s who reported multiple male sex partners and unprotected anal intercourse, often while using the highly potent narcotic crystal methamphetamine.

“This case is a wake-up call,” said Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. “First, it’s a wake-up call to men who have sex with men, particularly those who may use crystal methamphetamine.”

Detection of the new HIV strain came shortly after two New York men were diagnosed with a rare form of the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia, and Frieden said both cases should send alarm bells ringing in the gay community.

“This community successfully reduced its risk of HIV in the 1980s, and it must do so again to stop the devastation of HIV/AIDS and the spread of drug-resistant strains,” he said.

“Now we’ve identified this strain of HIV that is difficult or impossible to treat and which appears to progress rapidly to AIDS,” he added.

The onset of AIDS usually occurs more than 10 years after initial infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). But in the case diagnosed last week, the time lag appeared to be just two to three months.

More than 88,000 New Yorkers are known to be living with HIV/AIDS, and an estimated 20,000 are believed to be infected without knowing it. 

RELATED STORIES:
Consumers Sue Pharmaceutical AstraZeneca Over Misleading Nexium Campaign   FDA says AstraZeneca Crestor ad is misleading   Newer Antidepressants Work 2 Ways   Drug for osteoporosis sufferers   Pfizer, Microsoft sue over illegal Viagra   FDA grants accelerated approval for Sprycel (dasatinib)   Potential new drug for treating all forms of tuberculosis   Priority on Propriety in Viagra Veto   Viagra packages to include anti-counterfeit tags   Few Americans Buy Meds Online   Ranbaxy says set to make large quantity of Tamiflu   Doctors question safety of U.S. drugs

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]