Drug-resistant forms of HIV can be spread between individuals who have not received anti-retroviral therapy, as per Professor Deenan Pillay from University College, London and the Health Protection Agency, speaking at the Society for General Microbiology meeting at Harrogate today, (Monday 30 March).

Anti-retroviral treatment is a major advance in the therapy of HIV and there are currently over 25 drugs available. It is known that the virus can mutate, reducing its susceptibility to therapy, and that these resistant viruses can be transmitted between individuals. Professor Pillay observed that drug resistant viruses could also circulate between individuals who have not received antiretroviral drugs therapys.

"Our findings show that assuming that drug resistant HIV was only passed on from individuals receiving drug therapy may mean the number and size of the reservoirs of drug resistant virus in the United Kingdom has been underestimated," said Pillay, "Our results indicate that eventhough the occurence rate of drug resistance has been declining, this might not continue - which could have implications for planning and management of therapy programmes".


Posted by: Emily    Source

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