Child Born With HIV Still Shows No Sign of Infection
A child diagnosed with HIV at birth "is still showing no detectable levels of the virus in her blood, despite finishing antiretroviral treatment … 18 months ago," The Independent reports.
A child diagnosed with HIV at birth “is still showing no detectable levels of the virus in her blood, despite finishing antiretroviral treatment … 18 months ago,” The Independent reports.
The child, a 3-year-old born in Mississippi, contracted the virus in the womb. She received treatment to fight the infection within 30 hours of her birth and through the first 18 months of her life.
In March scientists in Atlanta announced that the child was no longer infectious. The case has caused some scientists to wonder if she actually contracted HIV in the womb. “Evidence printed in the report suggests the child was indeed infected whilst in utero, highlighting a sample taken 30 hours after her birth that contained HIV-1DNA, and a later sample that had a substantial amount of HIV RNA, needed to assign a HIV positive diagnosis,” The Independent said.
— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
Your support matters…The Independent:
A report published by the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday shows the girl is still showing no detectable levels of the virus in her blood, despite her treatment stopping 18 months ago.
Her case drew widespread attention in March when it was revealed that her mother had stopped collecting prescriptions for the infant’s medication when she was 15 months old, and told doctors she had not given the child any medication since 18 months of age.
Doctors expecting to find that the child’s viral load was back up since her treatment ended were shocked to find that her plasma level of HIV-1 RNA remained undetectable.
Independent journalism is under threat and overshadowed by heavily funded mainstream media.
You can help level the playing field. Become a member.
Your tax-deductible contribution keeps us digging beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that unearths what's really happening- without compromise.
Give today to support our courageous, independent journalists.
Opinion
A HIV survivor and former instructor reflects on his experiences.
The 40th president, though he proved to be less extreme than his campaign promises, ignited a wide transformation that resounds to this day.
In 2017, almost 16,000 people died from complications of the virus.
Pundits and politicians have transformed the 41st president into a paragon of virtue. All it took was a willful ignorance of history.
Dec. 1 marks the 30th World AIDS Day—and despite leaps forward in medicine and awareness in affluent parts of the world, it’s still a big problem elsewhere.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.