1-866-478-3417    
Ask Dr. Gian Sample Report Log In About Us Site Content FAQ

AIDS Virus Hides Quickly Inside Babies' Blood

Drug-resistant HIV strains that pass from mother to infant can go undetected in the baby's immune system cells and remain there for years, according to a study by Dr. Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and colleagues.

Mother-to-child HIV transmission in the United States has been slowed by the practice of treating both mother and baby at delivery, though it remains a major cause of infection in the developing world. Without treatment, around 25 percent of newborns become infected, either during birth or later during breastfeeding.

In addition, drug-resistant HIV is on the rise globally. HIV patients may develop resistance to their HIV drugs, and this resistant strain can then pass from person-to-person.

Persaud and colleagues studied 21 HIV-infected infants in 10 US states. Five of the infants had been infected with drug-resistant HIV from their mothers.

The researchers found the infants' virus moved quickly to inactive or resting CD4 T-cells. While the virus was resistant to the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors class of drugs, another class, protease inhibitors, worked.

"The initial transmitted drug-resistant virus will likely never be cleared from that infant with currently available treatments," said Persaud.

 

 

 

Reuters (04.30.07)

We are providing the above information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases  does not constitute  endorsement. The above summaries were prepared without conducting any additional research or investigation into the facts and statements made in the articles being summarized, and therefore readers are expressly cautioned against relying on the validity or invalidity of any statements made in these summaries. This CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on MMWR articles, fact sheets and announcements.