3-DCR XSD and 3-DCR NYC HIV Very Similar But Distinct

San Diego County's public health officer - Nancy Bowen | 2-19=05

[Mother Abigail]

3-DCR XSD and 3-DCR NYC HIV Very Similar But Distinct

February 19, 2005

A strain of HIV with a very similar, although not identical, genetic profile as the one in New York was recently found in the archive of a national AIDS testing lab in California.

The strain was originally reported to have come from a patient in San Diego.

Yesterday, however, San Diego County's public health officer, Nancy Bowen, said further research showed the patient was not from her area and she did not know where the patient was. New York City health officials have asked the commercial lab to help trace the source of that sample.

[Mother Abigail]

1. The failure to match HIV from NYC (3-DCR NYC) with the HIV from the patient originally thought to be from San Diego (3-DCR XSD) suggests that the two viruses are both rare and independent, which is not a good indicator. 

2. Both samples were collected in the fall, so the lack of a match would suggest there was no contact between the two patients. 

3. The presence of two distinct genotypes, which have the unusual combination of 3-DCR and a wild type RC, is cause for further concern.

4. The appearance of galloping AIDS and triply resistant virus in the same patient raised the possibility that a previously unseen, supervirulent strain of HIV had emerged.

Worrisome under any circumstances, the appearance of such a pathogen in the subculture of drug-using gay men, in which anonymous sexual encounters are common and safe sex practices are rare, is especially frightening.

The New York patient was started on anti-retroviral therapy two weeks ago, and it is too early to tell whether it is working.

If tracing of the New York man's partners leads to many newly infected people who have also had very rapid progression of disease, however, that will tend to implicate the virus, not the hosts.

5. Tests on the New York man's virus show it has a trait known as "dual-tropism." When HIV invades a cell, it attaches to a CD4 receptor on the cell's surface and to a co-receptor, labeled R5 or X4.

Most HIV strains attach to one or the other co-receptor. The New York virus can use both -- an unusual but not unique ability.

MA

[Mark was here]

... and this is a bad thing?

The quicker "bug chasers" kicks the bucket, the less the taxpayers have to pay for their cocktails.

Sounds like a win - win to me. The chaser gets his prize and the taxpayer gets some relief.

[foolscap]

The quicker "bug chasers" kicks the bucket, the less the taxpayers have to pay for their cocktails. Sounds like a win - win to me. The chaser gets his prize and the taxpayer gets some relief

I think your attitude is a little off base. Have you thought about the impact of this on health care workers? Do you consider then "bug chasers" too and therefor better of dead quickly? Maybe you might feel different when it ravages the medical community and you can't find a doctor or nurse.

[Caipirabob]

My concern is that due to this abuuse, that the pathology of the disease may mutate far faster than normal. HIV and other such strains have already become resistant to standard medicinal treaments and are more potent than ever. How long before comminicability traits change to something far more tranmittable?

Try to get a Doctor to see you then...

The more terrifying thing is that the community hardest hit by this remains silent about the facts and implications. It's as if they want it to break out and affect everyone.

[foolscap]

My concern is that due to this abuse, that the pathology of the disease may mutate far faster than normal. HIV and other such strains have already become resistant to standard medicinal treatments and are more potent than ever. How long before communicability traits change to something far more transmittable?

You are correct. That is why I get angry when I hear certain people deserve to die from this disease. That is the reason this news is so important. It is the first really major mutation of the disease which shows it is becoming more virulent. If people think this disease will only impact certain groups they are not seeing the long term situation.

[TheGeezer]

The minimum infective dose for HIV/AIDS is fairly high, that is, the virus may be malignant, but its ideal paths of infection reveal its weaknesses. It cannot be contracted by aerosol, for example, as from a sneeze. The retroviruses do not wait upon surfaces of toilet seats and then burrow into the skin of users. A relatively massive number of frail RVs must innoculate the host via a mucous membrane of some sort, and rectal or vaginal paths seem to be the most receptive HIV/AIDS pathways. Unless I am mistaken, the oral pathway is not as dangerous as the others, although exposing oneself to infection via that route is irresponsible.

In other words, precautions must be observed, but hospital strains of staph may be more dangerous to medical personnel than AIDS/HIV. I think if I still worked in a hospital, I'd be most wary of splashed blood accidents.

[Mother Abigail]

FYI

[CzarNicky]

I agree

[Mother Abigail]

We are not aware, at this time, of any oral HIV transmission.

If, as you suggest, this bug were hardier then that would be very bad news for us all, considering the global distribution.

MA

[Mark was here]

Have you thought about the impact of this on health care workers?

If we are dealing with a "social problem", you know the Aids is everyones problem routine, then the answer is simple. Require health care workers not to have sex with Aids patients.

If we are dealing with a medical problem, the answer is simple, quarantine.

[dsc]

"We are not aware, at this time, of any oral HIV transmission."

I have heard of people claiming to have gotten it that way. Can't vouch for their veracity, of course.

[Dog Gone]

AIDS has been known for about 20 years and there have only been a couple of hospital personnel who have contracted it from accidents involving blood. I don't think these superstrains pose a significant threat to them.

Sure, in some science fiction scenario if it becomes transmittable by air, we could all die. My wife works in a hospital laboratory and she takes precautions as do all the other workers. It's not a concern.

[null and void]

I think people who deliberately try to infect as many others as they can before they go, do deserve to die.

The sooner the better.

As for the rest, I just feel sorry for them.

[Tench_Coxe]

"The more terrifying thing is that the community hardest hit by this remains silent about the facts and implications. It's as if they want it to break out and affect everyone."

Here's another dark thought. It parallels the Muslim related thinking you see in this forum.
In this forum and outside it, there is a lot of simmering beneath the surface regarding 9/11, the relative silence of the Muslim community with respect to 9/11, and the possible effects to the Muslim community if another attack is carried out successfully on American soil, 'Religion of Peace' crap notwithstanding.
If this disease were to mutate into something that becomes more communicable, especially something that spreads to the greater public outside the community, there will be a mixture of anger and fear.
People aren't stupid. They know that AIDs and HIV is predominately found in the homosexual community. That, with the continued usage of the government to punish or silence folks who dare to speak out on the breakout of a disease that is spread primarily by behavior, is eventually going to kindle a wrath.
I don't like the implications, but human nature being what it is, I fear for what would happen.

[theFIRMbss]

>A strain of HIV with a very similar...was recently found in the archive of a national AIDS testing lab ...The strain was originally reported to have come from a patient in San Diego...further research showed the patient was not from her area and she did not know where the patient was

If this becomes a
coast-to-coast emergency
I hope we won't find

all our researchers
using equally worthless
"archival" data . . .

[Judith Anne]

Thank you for the ping. I've taken care of HIV and AIDS patients, and the precautions as they stand are doable and ordinary.

Aerosolized blood, as from surgery, has transmitted HIV through the mucous membranes of the eye, if I recall correctly, which is why face shields are used...

Another concern is for dental patients--who want to be sure that their provider is not HIV+, I'm thinking of the young woman Kimberly (last name?) who got it from her dentist...

Frankly, I'd want to be sure my surgeon wasn't HIV+, knowing some of the things that can happen...

But medical transmission either way, patient to doc or vice versa, is extremely rare.

[Nice50BMG]

That is why I get angry when I hear certain people deserve to die from this disease...

This is a disease the targets sinful behavior. It may have "collateral damage", but the acquisition and transmission of it is pretty clear. If you're not a gay male, an IV drug user, or a promiscuous sex adict (or the progeny of an affected group), your chances of getting this disease are small.

This disease has "intelligent design" written all over it. Why is it incapable of sustaining itself outside blood or semen? Why is it prevalent amongst drug addicts, prostitutes and homosexuals.

?It is a warning. It is the last attempt by our creator to get our attention. Fail to heed it and ultimate destruction is coming.

Just my $0.03

[foolscap]

It may have "collateral damage", but the acquisition and transmission of it is pretty clear.

It seems to me that if God has brought this disease to punish sinful behavior he would hit only the people who indulge in the behavior. This is the same logic that says the victims of the tsunami brought it upon themselves. It's is ridiculous and shows an extreme lack of Christan compassion. That is my 3 cents.

[rapture76]

[Quote]It seems to me that if God has brought this disease to punish sinful behavior he would hit only the people who indulge in the behavior.[/Quote]

For the most part it does. From" choosing" not to contain God(Life) in their thoughts- Death is all that is left.


[Quote]This is the same logic that says the victims of the tsunami brought it upon themselves. [/Quote]

Possability? Afterall, the majority of the animals watch the humans float by-