New 'AIDS-like' disease found in Asia
Key points
- Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified a new disease in Asia that causes AIDS-like symptoms but is not associated with HIV.
- The NIH study, which appears in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows patients with the disease were making antibodies that attacked their immune systems.
- The disease is being called an adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome.
- The study's lead author says it's rare here in the United States, but the NIH has seen about 12 cases - all of those patients are of Asian descent.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified a new disease in Asia that causes AIDS-like symptoms but is not associated with HIV.
The cases date back to 2004.
Most of them are in Thailand and Taiwan.
The NIH study, which appears in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows patients with the disease were making antibodies that attacked their immune systems.
The disease is being called an adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome.
Scientists don't think it's contagious.
The study's lead author says it's rare here in the United States, but the NIH has seen about 12 cases - all of those patients are of Asian descent.
No one has died from it here, though some may have in other countries.
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CNN Wire
Written and revised by
Gerald Hurowitz, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
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