Free Republic

A new super-mutant HIV strain that makes infected individuals ill twice as fast as current versions of the virus has been detected in the Netherlands. The new mutant — called the VB variant — has infected at least 109 people, according to a study by Oxford University. The strain damages the immune system and weakens a person's ability to fight everyday infections and disease faster than previous versions of the virus. It means those who catch this strain could develop AIDS more quickly. The VB variant also has a viral load between 3.5 and 5.5 times higher than the current...

BOSTON TOO, HAS SUPER HIV CASEMassachusetts doctors have reported several HIV patients with resistance to some of the most commonly prescribed treatments, rasing further concerns about a new, possibly drug resistant strain of the virus.The patients resistance to drug treatment is similar to a New York City case that has sparked widespread concern amont public health experts, the Boston Herald reported.'There is global concern that there may be an increasing amount of patients that have a resistant virus,' said Dr. Greg Robbins of Massachusetts General Hospital.