New HIV strain resists all known drugs

[jay gw]

Progresses to full blown AIDS in three to four months.

A previously unknown strain of HIV that is highly resistant to virtually all known drugs and appears to lead to the rapid onset of AIDS was detected in a man last week, New York health officials said Friday.

While the extent of the spread of the disease is unknown, officials said the situation was alarming.

"We consider this a major potential problem," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The department issued an alert to all hospitals and doctors in the city to be on the lookout for the new strain.

While HIV strains that are resistant to some drug treatments have been on the rise in recent years throughout the United States, city officials said this case was unique and worrisome for several reasons.

First, they said, the strain of the disease was resistant to three of the four classes of drugs used to treat HIV from the moment the patient got sick. Typically, drug resistance comes after a patient is treated with retroviral drugs, often because they go off the prescribed course. And, more often than not, a person is only resistant to one or two classes of drugs.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/11/news/HIV.html

It was only a matter of time before new strains started showing up. And there's no really good treatment for the existing strains, either.

[Eos of the Eons]

So many hosts, so many ways to mutate...

[Kumar]

"New HIV strain resists all known drugs"

Do crude drugs causes 'strains' other pathogens to gain resistance? What about diluted, energiged(as homeopathic) or nano? Can it be linked to 'drugs that directly kill' & durgs that expell them via body's streangth?

[geni]

Originally posted by Kumar
"New HIV strain resists all known drugs"

Do crude drugs causes 'strains' other pathogens to gain resistance? What about diluted, energiged(as homeopathic) or nano? Can it be linked to 'drugs that directly kill' & durgs that expell them via body's streangth? #

Why don't you do some reserach for yourself?

[Eos of the Eons]

Originally posted by Kumar
"New HIV strain resists all known drugs"

Do crude drugs causes 'strains' other pathogens to gain resistance? What about diluted, energiged(as homeopathic) or nano? Can it be linked to 'drugs that directly kill' & durgs that expell them via body's streangth?

NO. You have no idea how anti-virals work, do you. You have no idea what drugs are used to treat HIV or why. You don't care either. You will continue to generalize and stereotype anything and everything. You will continue to reject facts.

Why do you bother posting here? You come across as ignorant and arrogant.

[Eos of the Eons]

What, no comment? Gee, I hope that means you are studying up on the HIV virus...

Why don't you come back when you've read up on its complexity:
http://hiv-web.lanl.gov/content/hiv-db/STRUCTURE/INDEX.HTML
http://hiv-web.lanl.gov/content/hiv-db/HTML/FAQ.html


What is a T-Cell, what is the receptor site involved here? What is the enzyme used to convert it to dna? When does this happen? (Simple questions) Then read up on the FAQ's so you don't repeat any obvious questions on the complexity of the situation here.

Then learn about the "drugs" involved in treating people. Then I'm sure you'd understand the importance yet impossibility (seeming) of a vaccine.

Come back when you have a thorough understanding of the topic so you can ask intelligible quesstions, not the like the usual ignorant arrogance posted...showing your complete misunderstanding of HIV and AIDS.

[materia3]

The following press release has been sent out by the NYC Department of Health. Since it is a press release, since it is from a municipality and since the NYCHD would like to get this out to as many people as possible (please feel free to forward) I am reprinting it herewith as it may answer some of the questions and quandries posted above. I have added a brief comment from the ISID leaving open the question of how crystal methamphetamine use may be involved in this. The fact is the subject with this HIV variant is a crystal meth user but it does not necessarily mean there is a relationship. For example it is possible that the crytal meth may work its "magic" on the anti-viral drugs rather than causing the mutation of HIV itself or it may be entirely coincidental. The euphoria produced by methamphetamine use has been singled out as a probable causative factor in taking risky behavior in the first place, and on that note, nobody can disagree.



Highly Virulent Strain of HIV Resistant to 3 Categories of Drugs is
Associated with Rapid Onset of AIDS
---------------------------------------------------
A highly resistant strain of rapidly progressive human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been diagnosed for the 1st time in a
New York City resident who had not previously undergone antiviral
drug treatment, according to the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene (DOHMH).

The strain of 3-class anti-retroviral-resistant HIV (or 3-DCR HIV)
does not respond to 3 classes of anti-retroviral medication, and also
appears to greatly shorten the interval between HIV infection and the
onset of AIDS.

The patient is a male in his mid-40s who reported multiple male sex
partners and unprotected anal intercourse, often while using crystal
methamphetamine (crystal meth). He was first diagnosed with HIV in
December 2004 and appears to have been recently infected. The
diagnosis of 3-DCR HIV was made shortly thereafter at the Aaron
Diamond AIDS Research Center. Since then, the patient has developed
AIDS. DOHMH is counseling and offering HIV testing to those contacts
of the patient who have been identified.

While drug resistance is increasingly common among patients who have
been treated for HIV, cases of 3-DCR HIV in newly-diagnosed,
previously untreated patients are extremely rare, and the combination
of this pattern of drug resistance and rapid progression to AIDS may
not have been diagnosed previously. Strains of 3-DCR HIV are
resistant to 3 of the 4 available types of antiviral drugs that are
most commonly prescribed: nucleoside reverse transcriptase
inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and
protease inhibitors. This strain also caused a rapid onset of AIDS,
which usually occurs more than 10 years after initial infection with
HIV. In this patient's case, onset of AIDS appears to have occurred
within 2 to 3 months, and at most 20 months, after HIV infection.

Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH said, "This case is a
wake-up call.1st, it's a wake up call to men who have sex with men,
particularly those who may use crystal methamphetamine. Not only are
we seeing syphilis and a rare sexually transmitted disease --
lymphogranuloma venereum -- among these men, now we've identified
this strain of HIV that is difficult or impossible to treat and which
appears to progress rapidly to AIDS. 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.
2nd, doctors in New York City must increase HIV prevention
counseling, increase HIV testing, obtain drug susceptibility testing
for patients testing HIV-positive who have not yet been treated,
improve adherence to anti-retroviral treatment, and improve
notification of partners of HIV-infected patients. 3rd, the public
health community has to improve our monitoring of both HIV treatment
and of HIV drug resistance, and we have to implement prevention
strategies that work."

The Health Department recently issued a Health Alert to physicians,
hospitals and other medical providers asking them to test all
previously untreated patients newly diagnosed cases for anti-HIV drug
susceptibility. The Department is monitoring laboratories for
additional cases of 3-DCR HIV in newly diagnosed persons. DOHMH is
also working with New York State to establish a long-term system for
monitoring drug resistance in HIV-positive patients who have not yet
undergone treatment. Dr. Frieden added, "Patients who are on
treatment for HIV/AIDS and are doing well do not need susceptibility
testing unless advised to by their physician."

Dr. David Ho, CEO and Director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research
Center, said "This patient's infection with an HIV-1 strain that is
not amenable to standard anti-retroviral therapy, along with his
rapid clinical and immunological deterioration, is alarming. While
this remains a single case, it is prudent to closely watch for any
additional possible cases while continuing to emphasize the
importance of reducing HIV risk behavior."

"The rapidly growing crystal meth epidemic in New York city continues
to play a significant role in facilitating the transmission of HIV.
In light of the emergence of this virulent new strain, health care
providers must be especially vigilant in not only recognizing and
diagnosing HIV infection, but also in recognizing the signs and
symptoms of crystal methamphetamine use in their patients," said Dr.
Antonio Urbina, Medical Director of HIV education and training, at
St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center.

"Callen-Lorde is deeply concerned about this newly identified case of
multiple drug resistant HIV," said Jay Laudato, Executive Director of
the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. "We urge all persons, both
HIV-negative and -positive, to only engage in safer sex practices in
order to prevent new infections or re-infection. For those persons
who don't know their status, we urge HIV testing and obtaining the
information and support necessary to reduce their risk for HIV
infection. We also ask all gay and bisexual men to become
knowledgeable about the dangers of crystal methamphetamine and in
particular its relationship to sexual risk taking."

Dr. James Braun, President of the Physicians Research Network, said
"We believe that the transmission of treatment-resistant HIV was a
disaster waiting to happen, particularly in communities where safer
sex is not practiced regularly and in light of people using drugs
like crystal meth. All primary care providers in acute care settings
need to know how to diagnose HIV in its earliest stages and where to
refer people so that new infections are properly worked up and
treated."

"HIV prevention is an ongoing process," said Ana Oliveira, Executive
Director of Gay Men's Health Crisis. "We have to double our efforts
and resources to maintain treatment and prevention education for
people who are infected as well as for those who are not. New Yorkers
must be vigilant and know that infection with resistant strains of
HIV can be avoided. People living with HIV can live healthy and
satisfying lives by protecting themselves and their partners,
regardless of HIV status."

Tokes M. Osubu, Executive Director of Gay Men of African Descent,
said, "This is the news we have all been fearing. While the recent
advances in HIV treatment have led to the improvement of countless
lives, we have always known that many people respond poorly to these
therapies and for many others, the side effects are devastating.
Continued education about staying safe and avoiding HIV remains our
most potent weapon."

Dr. Jay Dobkin, Director of the AIDS Program at Columbia University
Medical Center, said, "This case is a striking reminder that the risk
of getting infected with HIV has not gone away. In fact, risky
behavior may be even more dangerous now since there is a chance of
infection with a virus we may not be able to treat."

"This case should drive home the point that substance use can lead to
unsafe sex, and unsafe sex can lead to infection with a highly
drug-resistant strain of HIV that can be extraordinarily difficult to
treat and may cause rapid progression to AIDS," said Roy M. Gulick,
MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College
in Manhattan.

Dr. Jack DeHovitz, Professor at SUNY-Downstate Medical Center said,
"This finding supports the need for enhanced availability of HIV
testing, as well as preventive interventions, which are effective in
reducing subsequent HIV transmission."

There is an epidemic of HIV and AIDS in New York City: more than 88
000 New Yorkers are known to be living with HIV/AIDS, and an
estimated 20 000 more are believed to be living with HIV/AIDS and
don't know it. Free and fully confidential STD exams and treatment,
as well as confidential or anonymous HIV testing, are available at
Health Department clinics throughout New York City. Health insurance,
proof of citizenship and/or parental consent are not required to
receive these services. Please call 311 or visit
<http://www.nyc.gov/health> for a list of clinics and hours of
operation.





editorial comment from ISID:


[The origin of this unique variant of HIV exhibiting resistance to
all 3 classes of anti-retroviral drugs, combined with an enhanced
progression to AIDS, is unexpected, as it appears to have been
recovered from a single patient who had not been received treatment with anti-retroviral drugs. Either this patient has had the misfortune to be infected with a spontaneous HIV mutant resistant to all 3 classes of anti-retroviral drugs, or the extensive use of anti-retroviral drugs in the community may have selected this unwelcome triple drug-resistant variant, and an outbreak of HIV infection and AIDS not amenable to treatment with currently available drugs is in the offing. It remains to be established whether the use of crystal meth. has played any role in the appearance of this variant - Mod.CP]

[jambo372]

Would this be completely resistant to treatment ?

If it can survive 3 of 4 classes of anti-retrovirals, is it still possible to treat it with the final class.
I've read that in order for anti-viral treatment of AIDS to be as successful as possible you need a cocktail of at least 3 drugs - standard therapy consisting of 2 nucleoside transcriptase inhibitors with a protease inhibitor or another non-nucleoside drug.