A secret Chinese-owned bio lab in California was found to be hiding thousands of vials of various biological substances, which included some carrying the label "HIV" and a freezer marked “Ebola” which FBI and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier refused to investigate, as per a House committee report released Wednesday (Nov 15).&nbsp;

The illegal lab was operational in California and the public safety risk it posed came to light in December 2022 &nbsp;when observant code enforcement officer Jesalyn Harper saw a green garden hose in a hole in the side of a warehouse which was believed to be vacant for more than a decade.

Inside the illegal lab, Harper found manufacturing devices, laboratory equipment, vials, medical-grade freezers and lab mice. The vials were labelled in English and Mandarin and in a code which remains undeciphered.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-warn-catastrophic-factor-x-virus-waiting-to-be-unleashed-might-wipe-out-humanity-658462">Scientists warn catastrophic ‘Factor X’ virus waiting to be unleashed, might wipe out humanity</a>

She further discovered several individuals wearing lab coats who identified themselves as Chinese nationals.

<h2>Bio lab investigated for nine months&nbsp;</h2>

The discovery of Harper started a nine-month-long investigation by the city in which eventually Rep Jim Costa was roped in after the case was ignored by the FBI and CDC.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, in a 42-page report, wrote about the shocking findings in the alleged Chinese-owned research lab.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party had started its own investigation in September.&nbsp;

"Local officials spent months repeatedly trying to obtain assistance from the CDC,” the report states, adding that “the CDC refused to speak with them and, on a number of occasions, it was reported by local officials that the CDC hung up on them mid-conversation.”

Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas: 'Disease X' could be 20 times deadlier than the Wuhan virus

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“Local officials were similarly unable to get any help from other federal agencies,” as per congressional investigators, which included the FBI. The local officials were informed by the FBI that “it had closed its investigation because the Bureau believed that there were no weapons of mass destruction on the property.” &nbsp;

With the help of Costa, CDC officials finally reached the Greeley bio lab and identified nearly 20 potentially infectious agents, which had many “serious or lethal human diseases.”&nbsp;

Some of the potentially infectious agents identified by the agency are SARS-CoV-2, Chlamydia, HIV, E. coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Hepatitis B and C, Dengue virus, the Rubella virus and Malaria.

However, the CDC decided not to test samples or examine the vials which were not labelled, even after city officials decided to pay for the testing.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

A secret Chinese-owned bio lab in California was found to be hiding thousands of vials of various biological substances, which included some carrying the label "HIV" and a freezer marked “Ebola” which FBI and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier refused to investigate, as per a House committee report released Wednesday (Nov 15).

A secret Chinese-owned bio lab in California was found to be hiding thousands of vials of various biological substances, which included some carrying the label "HIV" and a freezer marked “Ebola” which FBI and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier refused to investigate, as per a House committee report released Wednesday (Nov 15). The illegal lab was operational in California and the public safety risk it posed came to light in December 2022 when observant code enforcement officer Jesalyn Harper saw a green garden hose in a hole in the side of a warehouse which was believed to be vacant for more than a decade. Inside the illegal lab, Harper found manufacturing devices, laboratory equipment, vials, medical-grade freezers and lab mice. The vials were labelled in English and Mandarin and in a code which remains undeciphered. Also Read: Scientists warn catastrophic ‘Factor X’ virus waiting to be unleashed, might wipe out humanity She further discovered several individuals wearing lab coats who identified themselves as Chinese nationals. Bio lab investigated for nine months The discovery of Harper started a nine-month-long investigation by the city in which eventually Rep Jim Costa was roped in after the case was ignored by the FBI and CDC. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, in a 42-page report, wrote about the shocking findings in the alleged Chinese-owned research lab. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party had started its own investigation in September. "Local officials spent months repeatedly trying to obtain assistance from the CDC,” the report states, adding that “the CDC refused to speak with them and, on a number of occasions, it was reported by local officials that the CDC hung up on them mid-conversation.” Watch: Gravitas: 'Disease X' could be 20 times deadlier than the Wuhan virus “Local officials were similarly unable to get any help from other federal agencies,” as per congressional investigators, which included the FBI. The local officials were informed by the FBI that “it had closed its investigation because the Bureau believed that there were no weapons of mass destruction on the property.” With the help of Costa, CDC officials finally reached the Greeley bio lab and identified nearly 20 potentially infectious agents, which had many “serious or lethal human diseases.” Some of the potentially infectious agents identified by the agency are SARS-CoV-2, Chlamydia, HIV, E. coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Hepatitis B and C, Dengue virus, the Rubella virus and Malaria. However, the CDC decided not to test samples or examine the vials which were not labelled, even after city officials decided to pay for the testing. (With inputs from agencies)

Illegal biolab owned by China in California hiding pathogens labeled ‘HIV’, ‘Ebola’

As many as 14 children reportedly got infected with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV after undergoing blood transfusion in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state.

According to the Hindustan Times newspaper, these kids have thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder that results in abnormal haemoglobin levels.

The report, citing doctors, stated on Monday (Oct 23)&nbsp;that the children could have been infected with various diseases while receiving transfusions at private and district hospitals, and in some cases locally, during urgent cases.

The infections were revealed during a test conducted at Kanpur’s government-run Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital. Currently,&nbsp;180 thalassemia patients receive blood transfusion at the centre, which screens each of them every six months for any viral diseases.&nbsp;

<h2>Kids at major risk&nbsp;</h2>

Speaking to Hindustan Times newspaper, Arun Arya, the head of the paediatrics department at the Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur, said that seven of these children tested positive for Hepatitis B, five for Hepatitis C and two for HIV. The infected children are aged between 6 and 16.

While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the infection, Arya said that the blood transfusion may have taken place during the so-called “window period”.

According to him, when someone donates blood, it is tested to make sure it is safe for transfusion. However, there is a period of time after someone was infected when the virus could not be detected by the tests, this time span is called “window period”.

This means that during the window period, someone can be very infectious but still test negative for HIV or Hepatitis.&nbsp;Different types of tests have different window periods.

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But other doctors at the hospital believe that tests for viruses – meant to be conducted procedurally on donated blood – might have been ineffective, resulting in the infections, the report states.

<h2>UP officials alerted&nbsp;</h2>

“At the time of transfusion, the doctors should have [also] vaccinated the children against Hepatitis B,” Arya was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, a senior unnamed official of the Uttar Pradesh National Health told the newspaper that they are tracing the root of the infection.

“District-level officials will trace the root of infection under the Viral Hepatitis Control Programme. The team will look for the place of infection, both for hepatitis and HIV,” the official said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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As many as 14 children reportedly got infected with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV after undergoing blood transfusion in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state.

As many as 14 children reportedly got infected with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV after undergoing blood transfusion in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state. According to the Hindustan Times newspaper, these kids have thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder that results in abnormal haemoglobin levels. The report, citing doctors, stated on Monday (Oct 23) that the children could have been infected with various diseases while receiving transfusions at private and district hospitals, and in some cases locally, during urgent cases. The infections were revealed during a test conducted at Kanpur’s government-run Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital. Currently, 180 thalassemia patients receive blood transfusion at the centre, which screens each of them every six months for any viral diseases. Kids at major risk Speaking to Hindustan Times newspaper, Arun Arya, the head of the paediatrics department at the Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur, said that seven of these children tested positive for Hepatitis B, five for Hepatitis C and two for HIV. The infected children are aged between 6 and 16. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the infection, Arya said that the blood transfusion may have taken place during the so-called “window period”. According to him, when someone donates blood, it is tested to make sure it is safe for transfusion. However, there is a period of time after someone was infected when the virus could not be detected by the tests, this time span is called “window period”. This means that during the window period, someone can be very infectious but still test negative for HIV or Hepatitis. Different types of tests have different window periods. Also read | Indians dominate the list of immigrants acquiring citizenship in rich nations But other doctors at the hospital believe that tests for viruses – meant to be conducted procedurally on donated blood – might have been ineffective, resulting in the infections, the report states. UP officials alerted “At the time of transfusion, the doctors should have [also] vaccinated the children against Hepatitis B,” Arya was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, a senior unnamed official of the Uttar Pradesh National Health told the newspaper that they are tracing the root of the infection. “District-level officials will trace the root of infection under the Viral Hepatitis Control Programme. The team will look for the place of infection, both for hepatitis and HIV,” the official said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

14 kids in India’s Uttar Pradesh infected with HIV, Hepatitis after blood transfusion: Report

At least seven protesters were arrested after they barged into US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's office on Capitol Hill on Monday (September 11) morning, informed the authorities.

At least seven protesters were arrested after they barged into US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's office on Capitol Hill on Monday (September 11) morning, informed the authorities. The protesters, who briefly occupied the office, were seeking a five-year reauthorisation of PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) - a George W. Bush-era programme that provides government funding for HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and research. “Pass PEPFAR now,” the group could be heard chanting in the videos that have gone viral on social media, while the security personnel warned them of arrest if they remained in the office. After a brief kerfuffle, the protesters were arrested and put in handcuffs outside McCarthy's office in the Rayburn House Office Building, which is across the street from his official speaker's office in the Capitol building. “This morning, multiple individuals were demonstrating inside a House Office Building. After the demonstrators refused to cease demonstrating, USCP then arrested the 4 males and 3 females for unlawful entry,” the Capitol Police was quoted as saying by the New York Post. Watch | WION Fineprint: Republican leader Kevin McCarthy elected as US House Speaker × Reports state that McCarthy was out of his office when the protesters stormed in and created a ruckus. Monday was also the first day House members returned to Washington DC after their summer break. Protesters demand action According to reports, the protesters belonged to Health GAP (Global Access Project) - a nonprofit that advocates for "access to life-saving treatment for people with HIV worldwide". In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the group said it was proud of its activists. "As activists from @housingworks and @HealthGAP are arrested in an act of civil disobedience in Speaker McCarthy's office, a reminder that @PEPFAR exists today because of brave activist direct action targeting duty bearers. Proud of activists! #ProudofPEPFAR," read the post. As activists from @housingworks and @HealthGAP are arrested in an act of civil disobedience in Speaker McCarthy's office, a reminder that @PEPFAR exists today because of brave activist direct action targeting duty bearers. Proud of activists! #ProudofPEPFAR pic.twitter.com/rvXHosjupb — Health GAP (@HealthGAP) September 11, 2023 × January 6 parallels After the arrest, a section of netizens drew comparisons with the January 6 Capitol Hill riots and questioned if the protesters would be given the same treatment as former president Donald Trump's supporters. "I wonder if Biden's Justice Dept is going to treat them with the same severity that they treated the Jan. 6th defendants for essentially doing the same thing. I think we all know the answer to that question," said one user. Also read | Man involved in Capitol Hill riots sentenced to 12.5 years for using taser on police officer "Let's see how these individuals are treated especially when jailed, tried and convicted. Will they get 22 years! Will they be placed in solitary confinement? What will they be labeled?" added another. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

HIV protesters barge into US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's office

Inner Sydney district, once known for being the epicentre of the HIV pandemic in Australia, is approaching the milestone of becoming the first place in the world to reach the United Nations target for ending virus transmission, according to researchers.

UNAIDS has a goal of ending AIDS as a global health threat by 2030. This includes reducing the number of new AIDS cases by 90 per cent as compared to 2010.

New HIV infections among gay men in inner Sydney have dropped by 88 per cent between 2010 and 2022. The announcement was made by researchers on Monday (July 24) at the International AIDS Society's HIV science conference which is being held in Brisbane.

Andrew Grulich, an epidemiologist at the University of New South Wales who presented the research, told AFP that "we're very nearly there" some eight years ahead of the 2030 target.

Just 11 new HIV cases were recorded in inner Sydney last year, "an extraordinarily small number of infections for what was the heart of the Australian HIV epidemic," Grulich said.

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It is estimated that gay men make up 20 per cent of the male population in inner Sydney. They represent a large majority of HIV cases in Sydney.

According to Grulich, several areas in the UK and Western Europe have also witnessed quick drops in new HIV cases.

But "I don't think anywhere has gotten close to 90 per cent," he added.

Since Sydney has "virtually" already reached the target, that shows that it is a feasible goal, he said.

<h2>There is a 'but'</h2>

Grulich warned that the present statistics do not mean that HIV is nearly eliminated in Sydney, a city of more than 5.2 million people.

"HIV can only be eliminated if we have a vaccine and a cure," he said.

And the drop in new HIV cases was far less precipitous in other parts of Sydney.

In outer suburbs of the city, there is a decrease of just 31 per cent in the number of new cases say researchers.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-biggest-permafrost-crater-thaws-due-to-climate-change-threatens-russian-cities-618498">World’s biggest permafrost crater thaws due to climate change, threatens Russian cities</a>

This disparity was due to a much rate higher of HIV testing and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) -- which reduces the risk of transmitting HIV during sex -- in the inner city, Grulich said.

Grulich added that another cause for progress was that around 95 per cent of HIV-positive&nbsp;people in Australia are now on antiretroviral treatment, which suppresses the level of the virus in the blood.

Another study announced at the AIDS conference, which was published in The Lancet journal, said that people on antiretrovirals who have low but detectible levels of HIV have almost zero risk of sexually transmitting the virus to others.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Inner Sydney district, once known for being the epicentre of the HIV pandemic in Australia, is approaching the milestone of becoming the first place in the world to reach the United Nations target for ending virus transmission, according to researchers.

Inner Sydney district, once known for being the epicentre of the HIV pandemic in Australia, is approaching the milestone of becoming the first place in the world to reach the United Nations target for ending virus transmission, according to researchers. UNAIDS has a goal of ending AIDS as a global health threat by 2030. This includes reducing the number of new AIDS cases by 90 per cent as compared to 2010. New HIV infections among gay men in inner Sydney have dropped by 88 per cent between 2010 and 2022. The announcement was made by researchers on Monday (July 24) at the International AIDS Society's HIV science conference which is being held in Brisbane. Andrew Grulich, an epidemiologist at the University of New South Wales who presented the research, told AFP that "we're very nearly there" some eight years ahead of the 2030 target. Just 11 new HIV cases were recorded in inner Sydney last year, "an extraordinarily small number of infections for what was the heart of the Australian HIV epidemic," Grulich said. Watch | Australia-US War Games: Drill involve more than 30,000 troops from 13 nations × It is estimated that gay men make up 20 per cent of the male population in inner Sydney. They represent a large majority of HIV cases in Sydney. According to Grulich, several areas in the UK and Western Europe have also witnessed quick drops in new HIV cases. But "I don't think anywhere has gotten close to 90 per cent," he added. Since Sydney has "virtually" already reached the target, that shows that it is a feasible goal, he said. There is a 'but' Grulich warned that the present statistics do not mean that HIV is nearly eliminated in Sydney, a city of more than 5.2 million people. "HIV can only be eliminated if we have a vaccine and a cure," he said. And the drop in new HIV cases was far less precipitous in other parts of Sydney. In outer suburbs of the city, there is a decrease of just 31 per cent in the number of new cases say researchers. Also Read | World’s biggest permafrost crater thaws due to climate change, threatens Russian cities This disparity was due to a much rate higher of HIV testing and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) -- which reduces the risk of transmitting HIV during sex -- in the inner city, Grulich said. Grulich added that another cause for progress was that around 95 per cent of HIV-positive people in Australia are now on antiretroviral treatment, which suppresses the level of the virus in the blood. Another study announced at the AIDS conference, which was published in The Lancet journal, said that people on antiretrovirals who have low but detectible levels of HIV have almost zero risk of sexually transmitting the virus to others. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Former HIV epicentre in Sydney nears end of transmission, says research

A person with HIV, dubbed the "Geneva patient", has become the latest to be declared in long-term remission. The man, however, has not received a transplant with a virus-blocking gene mutation like the previous cases, said researchers on Thursday (July 20). Till now, five people have been considered "cured" of HIV. These were called the Berlin, London, Duesseldorf, New York and City of Hope, California patients.

All of these patients had received bone marrow transplants to treat serious cases of cancer. They received stem cells from a donor with a mutation of the CCR5 gene. This mutation is known to block HIV from entering the body's cells.

The Geneva patient received a similar stem cell transplant in order to treat a particularly aggressive form of Leukaemia. However, this time the donor did not carry the CCR5 mutation. The information was made public by French and Swiss researchers who told a press conference which was held in the Australian city of Brisbane as part of an AIDS conference which began on the weekend.

The absence of mutation means that the patient is in remission in spite of HIV being able to enter his cells.

The researchers said that 20 months after the Geneva patient stopped antiretroviral treatment, doctors did not find a trace of HIV in his system. Antiretroviral treatment reduces the amount of HIV in the blood.

While they cannot rule out that the man's HIV will return, the researchers said they consider him to be in long-term remission.

"What is happening to me is magnificent, magical," the Geneva patient said in a statement.

The patient is a white man who chose not to be named. he was diagnosed with HIV in 1990.

He had been on antiretrovirals until November 2021, when his doctors advised him to stop taking the treatment after the bone marrow transplant.

<h2>A promising treatment</h2>

Two previous cases, which were identified as the Boston patients, had received normal or 'wild type' stem cells during their transplants. But in both of these cases, HIV infection returned a few months after antiretroviral treatment was stopped.

Asier Saez-Cirion, a scientist at France's Pasteur Institute who presented the Geneva patient case in Brisbane, told AFP that if there was still no sign of the virus after 12 months "the probability that it will be undetectable in the future increases significantly".

Saez-Cirion said that there were a couple of possible explanations behind the Geneva patient remaining HIV-free.

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"In this specific case, perhaps the transplant eliminated all the infected cells without the need for the famous mutation," he said.&nbsp;

"Or maybe his immunosuppressive treatment, which was required after the transplant, played a role." 
Sharon Lewin, the president of the International AIDS Society holding the HIV science conference in Brisbane, said the case was "promising".

"But we learned from the Boston patients that even a single" particle of the virus can lead to HIV rebounding, she cautioned.

"This particular individual will need to be watched closely over the next months and years."

(With inputs from agencies)

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A person with HIV, dubbed the "Geneva patient", has become the latest to be declared in long-term remission. The man, however, has not received a transplant with a virus-blocking gene mutation like the previous cases, said researchers on Thursday (July 20).

A person with HIV, dubbed the "Geneva patient", has become the latest to be declared in long-term remission. The man, however, has not received a transplant with a virus-blocking gene mutation like the previous cases, said researchers on Thursday (July 20). Till now, five people have been considered "cured" of HIV. These were called the Berlin, London, Duesseldorf, New York and City of Hope, California patients. All of these patients had received bone marrow transplants to treat serious cases of cancer. They received stem cells from a donor with a mutation of the CCR5 gene. This mutation is known to block HIV from entering the body's cells. The Geneva patient received a similar stem cell transplant in order to treat a particularly aggressive form of Leukaemia. However, this time the donor did not carry the CCR5 mutation. The information was made public by French and Swiss researchers who told a press conference which was held in the Australian city of Brisbane as part of an AIDS conference which began on the weekend. The absence of mutation means that the patient is in remission in spite of HIV being able to enter his cells. The researchers said that 20 months after the Geneva patient stopped antiretroviral treatment, doctors did not find a trace of HIV in his system. Antiretroviral treatment reduces the amount of HIV in the blood. While they cannot rule out that the man's HIV will return, the researchers said they consider him to be in long-term remission. "What is happening to me is magnificent, magical," the Geneva patient said in a statement. The patient is a white man who chose not to be named. he was diagnosed with HIV in 1990. He had been on antiretrovirals until November 2021, when his doctors advised him to stop taking the treatment after the bone marrow transplant. A promising treatment Two previous cases, which were identified as the Boston patients, had received normal or 'wild type' stem cells during their transplants. But in both of these cases, HIV infection returned a few months after antiretroviral treatment was stopped. Asier Saez-Cirion, a scientist at France's Pasteur Institute who presented the Geneva patient case in Brisbane, told AFP that if there was still no sign of the virus after 12 months "the probability that it will be undetectable in the future increases significantly". Saez-Cirion said that there were a couple of possible explanations behind the Geneva patient remaining HIV-free. Also Read | Constipation found to be linked to cognitive decline: Report "In this specific case, perhaps the transplant eliminated all the infected cells without the need for the famous mutation," he said. "Or maybe his immunosuppressive treatment, which was required after the transplant, played a role." Sharon Lewin, the president of the International AIDS Society holding the HIV science conference in Brisbane, said the case was "promising". "But we learned from the Boston patients that even a single" particle of the virus can lead to HIV rebounding, she cautioned. "This particular individual will need to be watched closely over the next months and years." (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Fifth person 'cured' of HIV: 'Geneva patient' is latest to be in long-term remission

South Africa will soon start producing an affordable and generic version of the groundbreaking HIV-prevention drug, prophylaxis, long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA), for the first time, reported the United Kingdom-based newspaper, The Guardian, on Thursday (May 18). This comes as less than 40 per cent of medicines can be made on the continent as the production of medicines is largely concentrated in 38 countries.&nbsp;

<h2>What is CAB-LA?</h2>

The long-acting cabotegravir jab nearly eliminates the chance of a person being infected with HIV through sexual intercourse and costs far less than the branded version of the drug. The cabotegravir blocks the virus from entering a person’s cells. Studies have shown that CAB-LA works better than daily HIV-prevention pills which are available for free across many parts of the continent.&nbsp; 
 
Since the branded version of CAB-LA sells for about $3,500 per injection in the United States and is sold at a lower price which manufacturers claim to offer to nearly 90 countries like South Africa, it is possibly too expensive for the government to buy, reported&nbsp;The Guardian. The injection needs to be administered every two months, as per the guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO).&nbsp;

<h2>Where will the drug be produced?</h2>

According to the media report citing Indian drug company Cipla which later confirmed the news, the drug in question will be produced at plants in Benoni, near Johannesburg, and Durban. The move will potentially help millions of people at risk of HIV infection in Africa with access to the long-acting form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).&nbsp;

<h2>Licensing issues</h2>

The confirmation by Cipla follows an announcement back in March by the developers of CAB-LA, ViiV Healthcare, and the United Nations-backed Medicine Patent Pool (MPP) under which three companies were granted licenses to produce the drug, one of which is Cipla.&nbsp;

The two other companies, Aurobindo and Viatris, are also Indian companies which produce antiretroviral drugs for HIV treatment. According to the report by The Guardian, a pharmaceutical company require at least five years after the technology behind the manufacturing is shared for that product to be on the market.&nbsp;

ViiV holds the patent for CAB-LA until 2031 in South Africa, reported The Guardian, which means if it weren’t for the licenses granted to the generic alternatives the company would have no competition for the next eight years.&nbsp;

Notably, these disparities became prominent&nbsp;during the COVID-19 pandemic when in early 2021, Africa was struggling to procure enough doses to vaccinate its population, while&nbsp;Western countries had bought up most of the stock of vaccines and had enough to vaccine their population several times.&nbsp;

This prompted India and South Africa to lead a campaign at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for intellectual property rights to be waived on Covid vaccines, medicines and tests.&nbsp;Therefore, intellectual property deals such as this one brokered by the MPP this time&nbsp;can also lessen the impact of medicine shortages.&nbsp; 
 
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South Africa will soon start producing an affordable and generic version of the groundbreaking HIV-prevention drug, prophylaxis, long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA), for the first time, reported the United Kingdom-based newspaper, The Guardian, on Thursday (May 18).

South Africa will soon start producing an affordable and generic version of the groundbreaking HIV-prevention drug, prophylaxis, long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA), for the first time, reported the United Kingdom-based newspaper, The Guardian, on Thursday (May 18). This comes as less than 40 per cent of medicines can be made on the continent as the production of medicines is largely concentrated in 38 countries. What is CAB-LA? The long-acting cabotegravir jab nearly eliminates the chance of a person being infected with HIV through sexual intercourse and costs far less than the branded version of the drug. The cabotegravir blocks the virus from entering a person’s cells. Studies have shown that CAB-LA works better than daily HIV-prevention pills which are available for free across many parts of the continent. Since the branded version of CAB-LA sells for about $3,500 per injection in the United States and is sold at a lower price which manufacturers claim to offer to nearly 90 countries like South Africa, it is possibly too expensive for the government to buy, reported The Guardian. The injection needs to be administered every two months, as per the guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO). Where will the drug be produced? According to the media report citing Indian drug company Cipla which later confirmed the news, the drug in question will be produced at plants in Benoni, near Johannesburg, and Durban. The move will potentially help millions of people at risk of HIV infection in Africa with access to the long-acting form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Licensing issues The confirmation by Cipla follows an announcement back in March by the developers of CAB-LA, ViiV Healthcare, and the United Nations-backed Medicine Patent Pool (MPP) under which three companies were granted licenses to produce the drug, one of which is Cipla. The two other companies, Aurobindo and Viatris, are also Indian companies which produce antiretroviral drugs for HIV treatment. According to the report by The Guardian, a pharmaceutical company require at least five years after the technology behind the manufacturing is shared for that product to be on the market. ViiV holds the patent for CAB-LA until 2031 in South Africa, reported The Guardian, which means if it weren’t for the licenses granted to the generic alternatives the company would have no competition for the next eight years. Notably, these disparities became prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic when in early 2021, Africa was struggling to procure enough doses to vaccinate its population, while Western countries had bought up most of the stock of vaccines and had enough to vaccine their population several times. This prompted India and South Africa to lead a campaign at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for intellectual property rights to be waived on Covid vaccines, medicines and tests. Therefore, intellectual property deals such as this one brokered by the MPP this time can also lessen the impact of medicine shortages. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

In a first, South Africa to produce injectable-HIV prevention drug

The Düsseldorf patient, a 53-year-old German man, has been labelled as the third person to have been "cured of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)". Even four years after quitting the medication, the virus is still undetectable in his body.

The Düsseldorf patient, a 53-year-old German man, has been labelled as the third person to have been "cured of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)". Even four years after quitting the medication, the virus is still undetectable in his body. This has been made possible with a bone-marrow transplant from a person carrying a specific HIV-resistant genetic mutation. What is this genetic mutation and can it put a stop to the HIV virus once and for all? Others who became HIV-free Timothy Ray Brown, referred to as the Berlin patient, got two stem cell transplants in 2007 and 2008 to cure his blood cancer, and as a result, he became the first person to successfully overcome HIV. His physicians chose a donor with two copies of the CCR5-delta 32 genetic mutation since the mutation is known to render carriers nearly resistant to HIV. He was diagnosed with HIV, thus the donor was chosen by his doctors. Until his death in 2020 from cancer, he never had HIV, as reported by the Indian Express. Years later, researchers reported similar results in Adam Castillejo, a patient from London, who underwent the same treatment for the first time in 2019. Four years after he stopped using the anti-retroviral medications that regulate the amount of the virus in the body, the Düsseldorf patient, who also received a transplant for blood cancer, has continued to be HIV-free. ALSO READ | What is Xylazine? How is the medicine turning people into Zombies? In 2022, there were two further cases of "The City of Hope patient" and "New York patient." Dual stem cell treatment, which uses stem cells from both an adult and a neonate's umbilical cord to complete the transplant in the New York patient, is less rigorous in its HLA matching requirements. This is crucial because it might facilitate the transplantation of CCR5-delta 32 in individuals of different races. CCR5 mutation and how does it work against HIV? The CD4 immune cells in the human body are the primary targets of HIV, which makes it harder for a person to fend against secondary infections. The HIV virus enters the body through the CCR5 receptors on the surface of CD4 immune cells. However, the CCR5-delta 32 mutation blocks the formation of these surface-bound HIV viral receptors, by effectively closing the passage, according to the National Centre of Biotechnology Information. ALSO READ | Duesseldorf patient cured of HIV; third person in four decades to recover from the disease Just one per cent of the world's population has the CCR5-delta 32 mutation in two copies, which means they acquired it from both parents. 20 per cent of people, mostly those of European heritage, have the mutation in one copy. Those who carry the mutation are therefore almost resistant to the virus. Are transplants a solution to the HIV crisis? Finding a compatible donor in the first instance would be extremely challenging given the mutation's rarity and the almost 38.4 million individuals living with HIV worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The donor pool for many, especially those from nations with high HIV prevalence, reduces even more when the mutation occurs mostly in Caucasians. Yet, experts think it is extremely improbable that bone marrow transplants could be made available to everyone with HIV, even if donors were to become available. This is due to the fact that it is a significant surgery with significant dangers, particularly the chance of the recipient rejecting the given bone marrow. Also, there is a chance that the virus will evolve and find new ways to infiltrate cells. What are the currently available treatments for HIV? Despite the fact that there are currently no treatments for the infection, antiretroviral medication can be used to control the disease, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. These drugs prevent the virus from replicating within the body, enabling the number of CD4 immune cells to increase once more. Although the government's programme used to solely provide medications to people with low CD4 counts, it now supports anybody who has been diagnosed with HIV. As the virus is still present in the body's reservoirs, the medications must be taken for the rest of one's life. The virus can once more begin multiplying and spreading if the medications are stopped. It is less likely for someone to spread the virus when viral levels are low. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

EXPLAINED | Stem cell transplant cures yet another HIV patient, how does it work?

Scientists have successfully cured a third person of HIV. The man codenamed "the Duesseldorf patient" was cured of the life-threatening disease after receiving a stem cell transplant, which also treated his leukaemia. Previously, two other patients have been cured following the high-risk procedure. The patients in Berlin and London were also suffering from the two diseases.&nbsp;

Details of the latest success story, a.k.a., the Duesseldorf patient, have been revealed in the journal Nature Medicine.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: India doing well in fight against AIDS

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While the patient's name was not released, the study revealed that he is 53 years old and was diagnosed with HIV in 2008. Three years later, he was then diagnosed with a life-threatening form of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukaemia.

As per the study, "this third case of HIV-1 cure" provides "valuable insights that will hopefully guide future cure strategies".

In 2013, the Duesseldorf patient underwent a bone marrow transplant using stem cells from a female donor that had a rare mutation in her CCR5 gene. As per AFP, this gene mutation has been found to stop HIV from entering cells.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hiv-and-aids-is-not-the-same-thing-do-you-know-the-difference-between-the-two-539188">HIV and AIDS is not the same thing. Do you know difference between the two?</a>

The patient celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the transplant on Valentine's day, where the donor was the "guest of honour".

In a statement, he said that he was proud of his " worldwide team of doctors who succeeded in curing me of HIV — and at the same time, of course, of leukaemia".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/world-aids-day-2022-celebrities-who-battled-hivaids-539095">World AIDS Day: Celebrities who battled HIV/AIDS - Billy Porter, Freddie Mercury</a>

The bone marrow transplant used in this case is a severe and dangerous operation. Hence, it is only suitable for some special cases or a small number of patients suffering from HIV and blood cancer. Another challenge in this treatment is locating a bone marrow donor with the&nbsp;rare gene mutation.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Scientists have successfully cured a third person of HIV. The man codenamed "the Duesseldorf patient" was cured of the life-threatening disease after receiving a stem cell transplant, which also treated his leukaemia.

Scientists have successfully cured a third person of HIV. The man codenamed "the Duesseldorf patient" was cured of the life-threatening disease after receiving a stem cell transplant, which also treated his leukaemia. Previously, two other patients have been cured following the high-risk procedure. The patients in Berlin and London were also suffering from the two diseases. Details of the latest success story, a.k.a., the Duesseldorf patient, have been revealed in the journal Nature Medicine. Watch | Gravitas: India doing well in fight against AIDS While the patient's name was not released, the study revealed that he is 53 years old and was diagnosed with HIV in 2008. Three years later, he was then diagnosed with a life-threatening form of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukaemia. As per the study, "this third case of HIV-1 cure" provides "valuable insights that will hopefully guide future cure strategies". In 2013, the Duesseldorf patient underwent a bone marrow transplant using stem cells from a female donor that had a rare mutation in her CCR5 gene. As per AFP, this gene mutation has been found to stop HIV from entering cells. Also read | HIV and AIDS is not the same thing. Do you know difference between the two? The patient celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the transplant on Valentine's day, where the donor was the "guest of honour". In a statement, he said that he was proud of his " worldwide team of doctors who succeeded in curing me of HIV — and at the same time, of course, of leukaemia". Also read | World AIDS Day: Celebrities who battled HIV/AIDS - Billy Porter, Freddie Mercury The bone marrow transplant used in this case is a severe and dangerous operation. Hence, it is only suitable for some special cases or a small number of patients suffering from HIV and blood cancer. Another challenge in this treatment is locating a bone marrow donor with the rare gene mutation. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Duesseldorf patient cured of HIV; third person in four decades to recover from the disease

On December 1, World AIDS Day is observed. The day aims to raise awareness and dispel myths about the disease, to remember those who have died due to it, and to protect those currently afflicted with it. 
 
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is one of the deadliest and most feared diseases and is among the ones that people from every age group need to be aware of.

On World AIDS Day, we explain the difference between AIDS and HIV and some of the most common myths about the syndrome.

A very common misconception about the syndrome is that AIDS and HIV are the same thing. Most of us are in the habit of using both terms interchangeably, unaware of the meaning behind the two words. 
 
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes infection, whereas AIDS is the disease that is caused by HIV if left untreated.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/world-aids-day-2022-celebrities-who-battled-hivaids-539095">World AIDS Day 2022: Celebrities who battled HIV/AIDS - Billy Porter, Freddie Mercury</a> 
 
What is HIV? 
 
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system of the body, making the infected person more vulnerable to other deadly diseases. It is spread via unprotected sexual contact, needles, and syringes.

The virus mainly affects the&nbsp;white blood cells aka&nbsp;leukocytes, that protect our immune system and fight against infections and diseases. 
 
There is no cure for the virus, but medications are available to control the infection. The virus remains in the infected body for a lifetime.&nbsp;

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What is AIDS? 
 
AIDS, a chronic immune system disease, is the advanced stage of infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). If the person gets infected with the virus and doesn't get treatment for the same, then the person can develop a life-threatening disease AIDS.&nbsp;

A person who has been diagnosed as HIV positive doesn't necessarily have AIDS.&nbsp;

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There are three stages of HIV infection.&nbsp;

Stage 1: Acute HIV infection - Within a few weeks of the infection, the body may show slight flu-like symptoms.

Stage 2: This is the second stage of HIV and is also referred to as chronic HIV infection. In this&nbsp;stage, the virus multiplies but the process is slow and may&nbsp;last as long as 10–15 years with no symptoms. But in some exceptional cases, the process can be fast.&nbsp;

Stage 3 - When the&nbsp;virus has damaged the immune system of the body to an extreme extent that the body is not able to fight back, then the stage is termed AIDS.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(With inputs from the agencies)

On December 1, World AIDS Day is observed. The day aims to raise awareness and dispel myths about the disease, to remember those who have died due to it, and to protect those currently afflicted with it.

On December 1, World AIDS Day is observed. The day aims to raise awareness and dispel myths about the disease, to remember those who have died due to it, and to protect those currently afflicted with it. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is one of the deadliest and most feared diseases and is among the ones that people from every age group need to be aware of. On World AIDS Day, we explain the difference between AIDS and HIV and some of the most common myths about the syndrome. A very common misconception about the syndrome is that AIDS and HIV are the same thing. Most of us are in the habit of using both terms interchangeably, unaware of the meaning behind the two words. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes infection, whereas AIDS is the disease that is caused by HIV if left untreated. World AIDS Day 2022: Celebrities who battled HIV/AIDS - Billy Porter, Freddie Mercury What is HIV? HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system of the body, making the infected person more vulnerable to other deadly diseases. It is spread via unprotected sexual contact, needles, and syringes. The virus mainly affects the white blood cells aka leukocytes, that protect our immune system and fight against infections and diseases. There is no cure for the virus, but medications are available to control the infection. The virus remains in the infected body for a lifetime. What is AIDS? AIDS, a chronic immune system disease, is the advanced stage of infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). If the person gets infected with the virus and doesn't get treatment for the same, then the person can develop a life-threatening disease AIDS. A person who has been diagnosed as HIV positive doesn't necessarily have AIDS. There are three stages of HIV infection. Stage 1: Acute HIV infection - Within a few weeks of the infection, the body may show slight flu-like symptoms. Stage 2: This is the second stage of HIV and is also referred to as chronic HIV infection. In this stage, the virus multiplies but the process is slow and may last as long as 10–15 years with no symptoms. But in some exceptional cases, the process can be fast. Stage 3 - When the virus has damaged the immune system of the body to an extreme extent that the body is not able to fight back, then the stage is termed AIDS. (With inputs from the agencies)

HIV and AIDS is not the same thing. Do you know difference between the two?

England's National Health Service says it will prevent all new cases of HIV by 2030, new treatments will be available for up to 148,000 people across England.

No new HIV cases by 2030, England all set to become the first to defeat HIV

The UN estimated that nearly 4,000 people worldwide acquire HIV infection every day and urged nations to improve funding for disease prevention and treatment access. The organisation tweeted, "Progress in the reduction of new HIV infections is slowing &amp; every day 4,000 people become infected around the world. @UNAIDS urges countries to increase investment in HIV prevention &amp; access to treatment." As per the most recent information available from UNAIDS, progress against the HIV pandemic has stalled during the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic and other worldwide crises. As a result, resources have dwindled, putting millions of lives in danger.

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Progress in the reduction of new HIV infections is slowing &amp; every day 4,000 people become infected around the world.<a href="https://twitter.com/UNAIDS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNAIDS</a> urges countries to increase investment in HIV prevention &amp; access to treatment. <a href="https://t.co/R1y9tXnOEV">https://t.co/R1y9tXnOEV</a> <a href="https://t.co/T8tkiN4bBE">pic.twitter.com/T8tkiN4bBE</a>
— United Nations (@UN) <a href="https://twitter.com/UN/status/1553591783803629569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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As per a new report released, In Danger, prior to the International AIDS Conference in Montreal, Canada, the smallest annual fall in new HIV infections since 2016 occurred between the years 2020 and 2021, when the number of infections fell by 3.6 per cent globally.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/fourth-patient-in-history-seemingly-cured-of-hiv-501261">Fourth patient in history seemingly cured of HIV</a>

The UNAIDS data showed, new HIV infections are currently increasing where they had previously been declining in Asia and the Pacific.

However, as per a press release, annual HIV infections have increased in Eastern Europe, North Africa, and Latin America. The rapid development seen in eastern and southern Africa in previous years will be significantly slowed in 2021.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india/over-85000-indians-contracted-hiv-due-to-unsafe-sex-during-covid-lockdown-474457">Over 85,000 Indians contracted HIV due to unsafe sex during Covid lockdown</a>

Despite better HIV medication and resources to prevent, identify, and cure opportunistic infections, around&nbsp;650,000 people died due to AIDS in 2021.

The report outlines that if things continue as they are, there would be more than 1.2 million new HIV infections annually by 2025, while the UN member states have established a goal of less than 370,000 new infections.

(With inputs&nbsp;from agencies)

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The UN estimated that nearly 4,000 people worldwide acquire HIV infection every day and urged nations to improve funding for disease prevention and treatment access.

The UN estimated that nearly 4,000 people worldwide acquire HIV infection every day and urged nations to improve funding for disease prevention and treatment access. The organisation tweeted, "Progress in the reduction of new HIV infections is slowing & every day 4,000 people become infected around the world. @UNAIDS urges countries to increase investment in HIV prevention & access to treatment." As per the most recent information available from UNAIDS, progress against the HIV pandemic has stalled during the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic and other worldwide crises. As a result, resources have dwindled, putting millions of lives in danger. Progress in the reduction of new HIV infections is slowing & every day 4,000 people become infected around the world.@UNAIDS urges countries to increase investment in HIV prevention & access to treatment. https://t.co/R1y9tXnOEV pic.twitter.com/T8tkiN4bBE — United Nations (@UN) July 31, 2022 × As per a new report released, In Danger, prior to the International AIDS Conference in Montreal, Canada, the smallest annual fall in new HIV infections since 2016 occurred between the years 2020 and 2021, when the number of infections fell by 3.6 per cent globally. Also read | Fourth patient in history seemingly cured of HIV The UNAIDS data showed, new HIV infections are currently increasing where they had previously been declining in Asia and the Pacific. However, as per a press release, annual HIV infections have increased in Eastern Europe, North Africa, and Latin America. The rapid development seen in eastern and southern Africa in previous years will be significantly slowed in 2021. Also read | Over 85,000 Indians contracted HIV due to unsafe sex during Covid lockdown Despite better HIV medication and resources to prevent, identify, and cure opportunistic infections, around 650,000 people died due to AIDS in 2021. The report outlines that if things continue as they are, there would be more than 1.2 million new HIV infections annually by 2025, while the UN member states have established a goal of less than 370,000 new infections. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Nearly 4,000 people worldwide acquire HIV infection every day: UN

On July 27, AIDS experts revealed that a fourth person had been “cured” of HIV. However, the risky operation for patients who were facing cancer may not provide much solace for the tens of millions of people who are HIV-positive globally. Ahead of the International AIDS Conference, which gets underway in Montreal, Canada, on Friday, the 66-year-old man, known as the “City of Hope” patient after the Californian facility where he received treatment, was told that his illness was in remission.

After experts reported in February that a US woman known as the New York patient had also entered remission, he is the second individual to be officially declared to have been cured this year.

He said in a statement: “When I was diagnosed with HIV in 1988, like many others, I thought it was a death sentence.&nbsp;I never thought I would live to see the day that I no longer have HIV.”

He is one of four patients who have been treated in this fashion, and he is the oldest. Timothy Ray Brown, a “Berlin patient”,&nbsp;was the first in 2007.

The cure is the “holy grail”,&nbsp;according to the president-elect of the International Aids Society (IAS), and it provides “continuing hope and motivation” for HIV-positive people. Because non-HIV positive donors lack the receptors needed for HIV to infect cells, scientists think it works.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

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On July 27, AIDS experts revealed that a fourth person had been “cured” of HIV. However, the risky operation for patients who were facing cancer may not provide much solace for the tens of millions of people who are HIV-positive globally.

On July 27, AIDS experts revealed that a fourth person had been “cured” of HIV. However, the risky operation for patients who were facing cancer may not provide much solace for the tens of millions of people who are HIV-positive globally. Ahead of the International AIDS Conference, which gets underway in Montreal, Canada, on Friday, the 66-year-old man, known as the “City of Hope” patient after the Californian facility where he received treatment, was told that his illness was in remission. After experts reported in February that a US woman known as the New York patient had also entered remission, he is the second individual to be officially declared to have been cured this year. He said in a statement: “When I was diagnosed with HIV in 1988, like many others, I thought it was a death sentence. I never thought I would live to see the day that I no longer have HIV.” He is one of four patients who have been treated in this fashion, and he is the oldest. Timothy Ray Brown, a “Berlin patient”, was the first in 2007. The cure is the “holy grail”, according to the president-elect of the International Aids Society (IAS), and it provides “continuing hope and motivation” for HIV-positive people. Because non-HIV positive donors lack the receptors needed for HIV to infect cells, scientists think it works. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Fourth patient in history seemingly cured of HIV

More than 85,000 Indians were infected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, through unprotected intercourse in 2020-21, when the country was under COVID-19 lockdown.

With 10,498 cases, the western state of Maharashtra topped the list, as per a response to a Right to Information (RTI) query.

The southern state of Andhra Pradesh came in second with 9,521 cases, while its neighbour Karnataka had 8,947 cases within the same time period. West Bengal in the east and the central state of Madhya Pradesh have reported 3,037 and 2,757 instances, respectively.

In response to the RTI request by Madhya Pradesh-based activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) provided the information.

According to official data, over 1.7 million people in India have contracted HIV as a result of unprotected intercourse in the last 10 years, albeit the figures are steadily declining.

In 2011-12, 240,000 people were infected with HIV through unprotected intercourse, but by 2020-21, the figure had dropped to 85,268.

Andhra Pradesh has the most cases of HIV transmission in the last ten years, with 3,18,814 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 2,84,577 cases, Karnataka with 2,12,982, Tamil Nadu with 1,16,536, Uttar Pradesh with 1,10,911 cases, and Gujarat with 87,440 cases.

According to the data, there are 23,18,737 people living with HIV in the country as of 2020, including 81,430 children.

HIV attacks the immune system of the body. It can lead to AIDS if not addressed (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Contact with contaminated blood, sperm, or vaginal secretions can transfer the virus.

There is no effective cure for HIV. It can, however, be treated with adequate medical attention.

More than 85,000 Indians were infected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, through unprotected intercourse in 2020-21, when the country was under COVID-19 lockdown.

More than 85,000 Indians were infected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, through unprotected intercourse in 2020-21, when the country was under COVID-19 lockdown. With 10,498 cases, the western state of Maharashtra topped the list, as per a response to a Right to Information (RTI) query. The southern state of Andhra Pradesh came in second with 9,521 cases, while its neighbour Karnataka had 8,947 cases within the same time period. West Bengal in the east and the central state of Madhya Pradesh have reported 3,037 and 2,757 instances, respectively. In response to the RTI request by Madhya Pradesh-based activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) provided the information. According to official data, over 1.7 million people in India have contracted HIV as a result of unprotected intercourse in the last 10 years, albeit the figures are steadily declining. In 2011-12, 240,000 people were infected with HIV through unprotected intercourse, but by 2020-21, the figure had dropped to 85,268. Andhra Pradesh has the most cases of HIV transmission in the last ten years, with 3,18,814 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 2,84,577 cases, Karnataka with 2,12,982, Tamil Nadu with 1,16,536, Uttar Pradesh with 1,10,911 cases, and Gujarat with 87,440 cases. According to the data, there are 23,18,737 people living with HIV in the country as of 2020, including 81,430 children. HIV attacks the immune system of the body. It can lead to AIDS if not addressed (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Contact with contaminated blood, sperm, or vaginal secretions can transfer the virus. There is no effective cure for HIV. It can, however, be treated with adequate medical attention.

Over 85,000 Indians contracted HIV due to unsafe sex during Covid lockdown

A 64-year-old has become the first woman & the third person to be cured of HIV. The patient was treated in 2017. 4 years on, she's showing no signs of the virus resurging. Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: 64-yr-old becomes first woman to be cured of HIV

Woman in the United States has become the third person ever to be cured of HIV, the cured woman with Leukemia had received a stem cell transplant from a donor. The case of a middle-aged woman of mixed race is the first involving umbilical cord blood, it is a new approach that may make the treatment available for more people now.

Woman cured of HIV using novel treatment

Researchers reported on Tuesday (February 15) that a US patient with Leukemia had become first woman and third person till now to be cured of HIV. She received a stem cell transplant from a donor who had natural resistance to virus that causes AIDS.

"Well, this, first of all, tells us or confirms that a cure is indeed possible, and scientists need to keep working to find a cure," Sharon Lewin, President-Elect of the International AIDS Society, told Reuters.

The woman is middle-aged and of mixed ethnicity. Her case was presented &nbsp;at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver. This is very first case involving umbilical cord blood. This is a newer approach that may make the treatment available to more people.

The woman received cord blood to treat her acute myeloid leukemia. It is a cancer that starts in blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. The woman has been free of the virus for 14 months without the need of anti-HIV treatment.&nbsp;

"This would be a treatment for the modest number of people who have a condition that requires a transplant, have HIV and are able to identify a match. And I think the pool of potential matches would be expanded by using umbilical cord as the source, which is what we demonstrated in our patient for the first time," Dr. Marshall Glesby said about the "New York patient," as the woman is referred to since she was treated at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.&nbsp;

The cured patient was diagnosed with HIV in 2013 and leukemia in 2017 and Dr. Glesby has been on her direct patient care along the process.

The two prior cases occurred in males - one white and one Latino - who had received adult stem cells, which are more frequently used in bone marrow transplants.

Lewin said bone marrow transplants are not a viable strategy to cure most people living with HIV.

"What this case tells us is that if you can make cells resistant to HIV, you can stop the virus coming back," Lewin said, expressing optimism for this treatment to become a pathway to a cure, however many years down the road.

(With inputs from agencies)

Researchers reported on Tuesday (February 15) that a US patient with Leukemia had become first woman and third person till now to be cured of HIV. She received a stem cell transplant from a donor who had natural resistance to virus that causes AIDS.

Researchers reported on Tuesday (February 15) that a US patient with Leukemia had become first woman and third person till now to be cured of HIV. She received a stem cell transplant from a donor who had natural resistance to virus that causes AIDS. "Well, this, first of all, tells us or confirms that a cure is indeed possible, and scientists need to keep working to find a cure," Sharon Lewin, President-Elect of the International AIDS Society, told Reuters. The woman is middle-aged and of mixed ethnicity. Her case was presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver. This is very first case involving umbilical cord blood. This is a newer approach that may make the treatment available to more people. The woman received cord blood to treat her acute myeloid leukemia. It is a cancer that starts in blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. The woman has been free of the virus for 14 months without the need of anti-HIV treatment. "This would be a treatment for the modest number of people who have a condition that requires a transplant, have HIV and are able to identify a match. And I think the pool of potential matches would be expanded by using umbilical cord as the source, which is what we demonstrated in our patient for the first time," Dr. Marshall Glesby said about the "New York patient," as the woman is referred to since she was treated at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. The cured patient was diagnosed with HIV in 2013 and leukemia in 2017 and Dr. Glesby has been on her direct patient care along the process. The two prior cases occurred in males - one white and one Latino - who had received adult stem cells, which are more frequently used in bone marrow transplants. Lewin said bone marrow transplants are not a viable strategy to cure most people living with HIV. "What this case tells us is that if you can make cells resistant to HIV, you can stop the virus coming back," Lewin said, expressing optimism for this treatment to become a pathway to a cure, however many years down the road. (With inputs from agencies)

Stem cell transplant cures HIV positive woman, third person to be cured of infection

Researchers at Oxford University announced Thursday the discovery of a highly virulent strain of HIV that has been lurking in the Netherlands for decades but is not a danger because of the effectiveness of modern treatments.

The researchers reported in the journal "<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk1688">Science</a>," that patients infected with the "VB variant" had 3.5 to 5.5 times higher viral levels in their blood than those infected with alternative variants, along with a faster deterioration of their immune system.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/is-hiv-behind-the-emergence-of-omicron-here-is-what-we-know-so-far-436192">Is HIV behind the emergence of Omicron? Here is what we know so far</a>

It was found, however, that when individuals with the VB variant began treatment, they had similar immune system recovery and survival to individuals with other HIV variants.

According to Oxford epidemiologist Chris Wymant, the lead author of the paper, there is no reason for alarm.

The researchers believe the variant emerged in the Netherlands in the late 1980s and early 1990s but started declining around 2010.

The research team believes that since modern treatments are still effective against the variant, widespread HIV treatment in the Netherlands could not have led to the evolution of the virus, so early detection and treatment are essential.&nbsp;

"Our findings emphasize the importance of World Health Organization guidance that individuals at risk of acquiring HIV have access to regular testing to allow early diagnosis, followed by immediate treatment," said co-author Christophe Fraser, also an Oxford researcher, in a press release announcing the findings.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-a-first-injectable-medication-for-prevention-from-hiv-gets-fda-nod-in-us-438778">In a first, injectable medication for prevention from HIV gets FDA nod in US</a>

Moreover, this study supports the theory that viruses can evolve to become virulent, which is a widely-hypothesized idea for which there are few real-world examples.

Another recent example is the Delta variant of the Novel Coronavirus.

The discovery of the HIV variant should therefore "be a warning that we should never be overconfident about saying viruses will just evolve to become milder," said Wymant while speaking to AFP.

A total of 109 people were found to be infected with the VB variant, but only four were living outside of the Netherlands.

The HIV virus is constantly evolving, to such an extent that each person has a slightly different strain.&nbsp;VB variant, however, has over 500 mutations.

"Finding a new variant is normal, but finding a new variant with unusual properties is not -- especially one with increased virulence," Wyman explained.

Also read |&nbsp;Hope for HIV-AIDS Cure? 'Kick and Kill' strategy for hidden HIV-infected cells

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hope-for-hiv-aids-cure-kick-and-kill-strategy-for-hidden-hiv-infected-cells-445293/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

A broad data set from the BEEHIVE project, a data collection and analysis initiative in Europe and Uganda, was parsed by the researchers to identify the VB variant in 17 HIV positive individuals.

92 other HIV-positive individuals were identified by analyzing data from 6,700 Dutch HIV-positive individuals since 15 of the 17 individuals lived in the Netherlands.

VB was first observed in 1992 in a patient with an early form of the gene variant and was found most recently in 2014.

(With inputs from agencies)

Researchers at Oxford University announced Thursday the discovery of a highly virulent strain of HIV that has been lurking in the Netherlands for decades but is not a danger because of the effectiveness of modern treatments.

Researchers at Oxford University announced Thursday the discovery of a highly virulent strain of HIV that has been lurking in the Netherlands for decades but is not a danger because of the effectiveness of modern treatments. The researchers reported in the journal "Science," that patients infected with the "VB variant" had 3.5 to 5.5 times higher viral levels in their blood than those infected with alternative variants, along with a faster deterioration of their immune system. Also read | Is HIV behind the emergence of Omicron? Here is what we know so far It was found, however, that when individuals with the VB variant began treatment, they had similar immune system recovery and survival to individuals with other HIV variants. According to Oxford epidemiologist Chris Wymant, the lead author of the paper, there is no reason for alarm. The researchers believe the variant emerged in the Netherlands in the late 1980s and early 1990s but started declining around 2010. The research team believes that since modern treatments are still effective against the variant, widespread HIV treatment in the Netherlands could not have led to the evolution of the virus, so early detection and treatment are essential. "Our findings emphasize the importance of World Health Organization guidance that individuals at risk of acquiring HIV have access to regular testing to allow early diagnosis, followed by immediate treatment," said co-author Christophe Fraser, also an Oxford researcher, in a press release announcing the findings. Also read | In a first, injectable medication for prevention from HIV gets FDA nod in US Moreover, this study supports the theory that viruses can evolve to become virulent, which is a widely-hypothesized idea for which there are few real-world examples. Another recent example is the Delta variant of the Novel Coronavirus. The discovery of the HIV variant should therefore "be a warning that we should never be overconfident about saying viruses will just evolve to become milder," said Wymant while speaking to AFP. A total of 109 people were found to be infected with the VB variant, but only four were living outside of the Netherlands. The HIV virus is constantly evolving, to such an extent that each person has a slightly different strain. VB variant, however, has over 500 mutations. "Finding a new variant is normal, but finding a new variant with unusual properties is not -- especially one with increased virulence," Wyman explained. Also read | Hope for HIV-AIDS Cure? 'Kick and Kill' strategy for hidden HIV-infected cells A broad data set from the BEEHIVE project, a data collection and analysis initiative in Europe and Uganda, was parsed by the researchers to identify the VB variant in 17 HIV positive individuals. 92 other HIV-positive individuals were identified by analyzing data from 6,700 Dutch HIV-positive individuals since 15 of the 17 individuals lived in the Netherlands. VB was first observed in 1992 in a patient with an early form of the gene variant and was found most recently in 2014. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists identify a new 'highly virulent' HIV strain in the Netherlands

A study by a team of researchers in the university of California in Los Angeles could prove to be vital in finding cure for HIV in the future. The UCLA led study continues research on a strategy called kick and kill which many of the same scientists described in a 2017 paper. The approach gently arranges the virus to reveal itself in infected cells so it can then be targeted and killed.

Researchers in University of California conduct study for finding cure of HIV

On a visit to a public hospital in a farming community in November, I saw something that astonished me.

Empty beds. Rows of them, their black plastic-covered mattresses stripped of sheets. Blue privacy curtains folded up over rails, out of the way.

I had never seen a Zambian hospital like this. When I last toured one, nearly 15 years ago, patients lay two or three to a bed, head-to-feet-to-head. And more on the floor. More on thatch mats in the hallways. The patients were gaunt, their eyes huge above sunken cheeks. Hopelessness and suffering hung in the air.

Now, the wards were silent, and not just because a COVID-19 wave had recently ended. There was only the bounce of my voice off the walls as I asked Morton Zuze, the doctor giving me a tour, where everyone was. When I told him that I had last spent time here in the mid-2000s, he knew what I was asking.

“Well,” he said matter-of-factly, “there are 200,000 people in this district and 20,000 of them are on ART,” or antiretroviral therapy, an HIV treatment. That was a staggering figure: 20,000 people on ART for HIV.

The only sign of HIV that I saw in Zambia was glossy billboards dotted around the capital, Lusaka, showing stylish, smiling people, with the slogan “I’m ending AIDS with …” and some helpful strategy: testing regularly or taking treatment or using drugs to prevent infection.

I was a correspondent based in Johannesburg at the height of the African HIV epidemic, the last pandemic to batter this region. In the early 2000s, there were 28 million people living with the virus in sub-Saharan Africa, and about a third of young adults in Zambia were infected. More than 2 million Africans were dying of AIDS each year.

HIV had long since become a treatable illness in wealthy nations, but here the price of antiretrovirals was still more than $10,000 per person per year. Entirely, impossibly, unaffordable.

Back then, I reported from villages in Eswatini, then known as Swaziland, where I couldn’t find more than a handful of people my age — just children and elderly people. I wrote from Johannesburg about the day that Nelson Mandela broke a powerful taboo and told South Africans his son had died of AIDS. I told the story of a grandmother named Regine Mamba in Zambia raising 12 orphaned grandchildren. And I interviewed the brave, and often desperately ill, activists, such as Zackie Achmat, a co-founder of South Africa’s Treatment Action Campaign, who were fighting with their lives to get access to treatment.

Almost two decades later, the fruits of what they fought for were vividly on display, and a reminder — useful at this moment as another COVID wave makes this pandemic seem unending — of how much is possible.

Science, in the form of drugs that quelled if not vanquished a deadly virus; a network of fierce, courageous activists; coordinated international efforts, including a huge investment by the U.S. Government — they all combined to deliver the miracle of that empty, echoing Zambian hospital ward.

We know how to do this.

In a clinic outside Cape Town, Linda-Gail Bekker, a renowned HIV researcher, mentioned to me almost in passing that “our longevity is back.” When I asked what she meant, she showed me the data: The life expectancy of South Africans, which HIV drove down from 63 in 1990 to a low point of 53 in 2004, has risen steadily since treatment began to be delivered by the public health system, and will pass 66 this year.

This was just one of a dozen interactions I had that I could not have imagined 25 years ago, when I began covering HIV in Africa.

In a public clinic in Soweto on my recent trip, I spent time with a community health care worker named Nelly Zulu, who told me that when people test positive for HIV at the clinic where she works, they are given their first pills to suppress the virus that day: no more of the grim wait I used to watch, as people tracked the decline of their immune systems until they qualified for the scarce drugs.

Nelly also told me that the number of positive cases was falling. She and her co-workers said they attributed this in part to pre-exposure prophylaxis, better known as PrEP. It’s an antiretroviral taken every day that helps keep people from being infected if they are exposed to HIV. Gay men in the United States have been using it for years, but it’s only recently come to Africa. Nelly and her colleagues said that women came to her clinic asking for it: “the ones who have older boyfriends who they can’t trust.”

Research shows that PrEP use isn’t high in Africa yet, but it was fascinating to me to hear Nelly talk about it casually. For so many years, the only thing that counsellors like her had in their AIDS prevention arsenal was condoms or trying to persuade people not to have sex at all.

In Durban, I happened to visit a clinic as nurses were screening young women volunteering for the first clinical trial of a South African broadly neutralizing antibody to fight HIV, which researchers hope could be the key to new drugs to prevent infection, new treatments that would be easier to take, and perhaps even a cure.

That same day, I visited the Africa Health Research Institute, where an infectious disease expert named Thumbi Ndung’u talked about that trial and other upcoming ones that represent real, strategic steps to a cure. I teared up when I began to understand the implications of the work he was describing.

“You believe this is going to work, don’t you?” I asked Ndung’u after he explained the hypothesis he would soon begin to test for inducing HIV remission. His normal demeanour is sombre to the point of sternness, but he broke into a wide grin. “If it works it will be very exciting,” he said.

In Zambia, I stopped by the white bungalow in Lusaka that houses the HIV treatment campaign. I wanted to interview Felix Mwanza and Carol Nyirenda, veteran activists I first met two decades ago, about lessons for the COVID response from the HIV epidemic — including the idea that government must take vaccines to people where they are, the way they learned to take HIV tests to bars and markets.

But when I asked Carol and Felix how they were, they had more immediate concerns. They talked about the challenges of late middle age — a loss of bone density, the miseries of menopause — and how it troubled them that there was little research into the long-term use of antiretroviral drugs in Africa. When they ask their doctors if something is “normal,” or perhaps a treatment side effect about which they should be concerned, they’re most often met with a shrug.

It was a valid point: a source of frustration and real concern. And it also left me a little bit delighted, because when I met Felix and Carol, no one imagined them having the luxury of ageing.

Back then, Carol, now 58, was getting ARVs from friends abroad. But when they ran out of money and couldn’t send the drugs, she “sat back and waited to die,” ravaged by a tuberculosis infection that her immune-suppressed body could not fight.

That night I had dinner with my friend Ida Mukuka and her family. I hadn’t seen Ida in 13 years. When we first met in 2003, she was a counsellor at an HIV clinic known for her ability to handle the tough cases — the men who threw their pregnant wives out of the house, or worse, when they were tested at the prenatal clinic and learned they were HIV-positive.

In 2006, Ida found out that her own husband had infected her. Treatment was still a rare commodity in Zambia then, and there was no guarantee she would survive until she had reliable access to it. I met her two daughters when they were small, wide-eyed girls and Ida confided to me back then that all she wanted was to keep them in school so that they might one day go to university and never feel they had to stay married to a violent, untrustworthy man, the way she did.

On this trip, those daughters joined us for dinner, coming straight from work. Mwamba is a brisk, funny woman of 25. She has a degree in development and is saving to go abroad for graduate school. Then Teba, 27, a lawyer, arrived, fresh from arguing her first case in front of the High Court.

I was mesmerized by the young women and the way their lives have turned out so differently than the future their mother feared for them in 2006.

So much of what I saw on this trip was unfathomable 25 years ago, or even 15. It was a shamefully long fight. The solutions came decades later than they should have. Each time I saw activists-turned-friends like Carol and Ida, we talked about the colleagues and friends who didn’t survive, who were ghostly presences as we sipped tea.

AIDS is far from over. COVID has caused a disruption in testing, interrupted drug delivery and undermined livelihoods in ways that make people more vulnerable to that other virus, too. An estimated 700,000 Africans were newly infected this year.

But HIV has been significantly beaten back. It’s a credit to former President George W. Bush’s PEPFAR program and the money it poured into treatment. To brilliant scientists such as those in Durban and Cape Town. And to activists like Ida, Felix and Carol.

I’m taking heart in what I saw in Chongwe: proof of human resilience and ingenuity, a reminder that the timeline in a battle with a virus is not short — not nearly as short as we would like it to be. But it is possible to come out the other side, into a future we can barely envision right now.

On a visit to a public hospital in a farming community in November, I saw something that astonished me. Empty beds. Rows of them, their black plastic-covered mattresses stripped of sheets.

On a visit to a public hospital in a farming community in November, I saw something that astonished me. Empty beds. Rows of them, their black plastic-covered mattresses stripped of sheets. Blue privacy curtains folded up over rails, out of the way. I had never seen a Zambian hospital like this. When I last toured one, nearly 15 years ago, patients lay two or three to a bed, head-to-feet-to-head. And more on the floor. More on thatch mats in the hallways. The patients were gaunt, their eyes huge above sunken cheeks. Hopelessness and suffering hung in the air. Now, the wards were silent, and not just because a COVID-19 wave had recently ended. There was only the bounce of my voice off the walls as I asked Morton Zuze, the doctor giving me a tour, where everyone was. When I told him that I had last spent time here in the mid-2000s, he knew what I was asking. “Well,” he said matter-of-factly, “there are 200,000 people in this district and 20,000 of them are on ART,” or antiretroviral therapy, an HIV treatment. That was a staggering figure: 20,000 people on ART for HIV. The only sign of HIV that I saw in Zambia was glossy billboards dotted around the capital, Lusaka, showing stylish, smiling people, with the slogan “I’m ending AIDS with …” and some helpful strategy: testing regularly or taking treatment or using drugs to prevent infection. I was a correspondent based in Johannesburg at the height of the African HIV epidemic, the last pandemic to batter this region. In the early 2000s, there were 28 million people living with the virus in sub-Saharan Africa, and about a third of young adults in Zambia were infected. More than 2 million Africans were dying of AIDS each year. HIV had long since become a treatable illness in wealthy nations, but here the price of antiretrovirals was still more than $10,000 per person per year. Entirely, impossibly, unaffordable. Back then, I reported from villages in Eswatini, then known as Swaziland, where I couldn’t find more than a handful of people my age — just children and elderly people. I wrote from Johannesburg about the day that Nelson Mandela broke a powerful taboo and told South Africans his son had died of AIDS. I told the story of a grandmother named Regine Mamba in Zambia raising 12 orphaned grandchildren. And I interviewed the brave, and often desperately ill, activists, such as Zackie Achmat, a co-founder of South Africa’s Treatment Action Campaign, who were fighting with their lives to get access to treatment. Almost two decades later, the fruits of what they fought for were vividly on display, and a reminder — useful at this moment as another COVID wave makes this pandemic seem unending — of how much is possible. Science, in the form of drugs that quelled if not vanquished a deadly virus; a network of fierce, courageous activists; coordinated international efforts, including a huge investment by the U.S. Government — they all combined to deliver the miracle of that empty, echoing Zambian hospital ward. We know how to do this. In a clinic outside Cape Town, Linda-Gail Bekker, a renowned HIV researcher, mentioned to me almost in passing that “our longevity is back.” When I asked what she meant, she showed me the data: The life expectancy of South Africans, which HIV drove down from 63 in 1990 to a low point of 53 in 2004, has risen steadily since treatment began to be delivered by the public health system, and will pass 66 this year. This was just one of a dozen interactions I had that I could not have imagined 25 years ago, when I began covering HIV in Africa. In a public clinic in Soweto on my recent trip, I spent time with a community health care worker named Nelly Zulu, who told me that when people test positive for HIV at the clinic where she works, they are given their first pills to suppress the virus that day: no more of the grim wait I used to watch, as people tracked the decline of their immune systems until they qualified for the scarce drugs. Nelly also told me that the number of positive cases was falling. She and her co-workers said they attributed this in part to pre-exposure prophylaxis, better known as PrEP. It’s an antiretroviral taken every day that helps keep people from being infected if they are exposed to HIV. Gay men in the United States have been using it for years, but it’s only recently come to Africa. Nelly and her colleagues said that women came to her clinic asking for it: “the ones who have older boyfriends who they can’t trust.” Research shows that PrEP use isn’t high in Africa yet, but it was fascinating to me to hear Nelly talk about it casually. For so many years, the only thing that counsellors like her had in their AIDS prevention arsenal was condoms or trying to persuade people not to have sex at all. In Durban, I happened to visit a clinic as nurses were screening young women volunteering for the first clinical trial of a South African broadly neutralizing antibody to fight HIV, which researchers hope could be the key to new drugs to prevent infection, new treatments that would be easier to take, and perhaps even a cure. That same day, I visited the Africa Health Research Institute, where an infectious disease expert named Thumbi Ndung’u talked about that trial and other upcoming ones that represent real, strategic steps to a cure. I teared up when I began to understand the implications of the work he was describing. “You believe this is going to work, don’t you?” I asked Ndung’u after he explained the hypothesis he would soon begin to test for inducing HIV remission. His normal demeanour is sombre to the point of sternness, but he broke into a wide grin. “If it works it will be very exciting,” he said. In Zambia, I stopped by the white bungalow in Lusaka that houses the HIV treatment campaign. I wanted to interview Felix Mwanza and Carol Nyirenda, veteran activists I first met two decades ago, about lessons for the COVID response from the HIV epidemic — including the idea that government must take vaccines to people where they are, the way they learned to take HIV tests to bars and markets. But when I asked Carol and Felix how they were, they had more immediate concerns. They talked about the challenges of late middle age — a loss of bone density, the miseries of menopause — and how it troubled them that there was little research into the long-term use of antiretroviral drugs in Africa. When they ask their doctors if something is “normal,” or perhaps a treatment side effect about which they should be concerned, they’re most often met with a shrug. It was a valid point: a source of frustration and real concern. And it also left me a little bit delighted, because when I met Felix and Carol, no one imagined them having the luxury of ageing. Back then, Carol, now 58, was getting ARVs from friends abroad. But when they ran out of money and couldn’t send the drugs, she “sat back and waited to die,” ravaged by a tuberculosis infection that her immune-suppressed body could not fight. That night I had dinner with my friend Ida Mukuka and her family. I hadn’t seen Ida in 13 years. When we first met in 2003, she was a counsellor at an HIV clinic known for her ability to handle the tough cases — the men who threw their pregnant wives out of the house, or worse, when they were tested at the prenatal clinic and learned they were HIV-positive. In 2006, Ida found out that her own husband had infected her. Treatment was still a rare commodity in Zambia then, and there was no guarantee she would survive until she had reliable access to it. I met her two daughters when they were small, wide-eyed girls and Ida confided to me back then that all she wanted was to keep them in school so that they might one day go to university and never feel they had to stay married to a violent, untrustworthy man, the way she did. On this trip, those daughters joined us for dinner, coming straight from work. Mwamba is a brisk, funny woman of 25. She has a degree in development and is saving to go abroad for graduate school. Then Teba, 27, a lawyer, arrived, fresh from arguing her first case in front of the High Court. I was mesmerized by the young women and the way their lives have turned out so differently than the future their mother feared for them in 2006. So much of what I saw on this trip was unfathomable 25 years ago, or even 15. It was a shamefully long fight. The solutions came decades later than they should have. Each time I saw activists-turned-friends like Carol and Ida, we talked about the colleagues and friends who didn’t survive, who were ghostly presences as we sipped tea. AIDS is far from over. COVID has caused a disruption in testing, interrupted drug delivery and undermined livelihoods in ways that make people more vulnerable to that other virus, too. An estimated 700,000 Africans were newly infected this year. But HIV has been significantly beaten back. It’s a credit to former President George W. Bush’s PEPFAR program and the money it poured into treatment. To brilliant scientists such as those in Durban and Cape Town. And to activists like Ida, Felix and Carol. I’m taking heart in what I saw in Chongwe: proof of human resilience and ingenuity, a reminder that the timeline in a battle with a virus is not short — not nearly as short as we would like it to be. But it is possible to come out the other side, into a future we can barely envision right now.

In Southern Africa, success against HIV offers hope for beating back another virus

The fight against the HIV has been raging around the world for quite some time. As a huge respite, an injectable medication has been approved for prevention against HIV by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.&nbsp;

It is the first long-acting drug for use as pre-exposure prevention or PrEP, the agency announced on Monday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/an-event-cancelled-is-better-than-a-life-cancelled-who-chief-438610" hreflang="en">'An event cancelled is better than a life cancelled': WHO chief</a>

The name of the new drug is Apretude. It can be injected after every two months. The medicine is an alternative to prevention pills for HIV, such as Truvada and Descovy. These pills reduce the risk of HIV by 99% if taken daily. &nbsp;

Analysing the safety and efficacy of the drug, two trials by FDA found that Apretude fared better in reducing chances of contracting HIV than the oral medications, which are taken daily. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-was-in-close-contact-with-official-who-tested-positive-for-covid-438717" hreflang="en">Biden was in close contact with official who tested positive for Covid</a>

In a statement, Dr Debra Birnkrant, director, antivirals division, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said, “Today’s approval adds an important tool in the effort to end the HIV epidemic by providing the first option to prevent HIV that does not involve taking a daily pill.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

This medication has been made by ViiV Healthcare, which is majority owned by GlaxoSmithKline.&nbsp;“This injection, given every two months, will be critical to addressing the HIV epidemic in the US, including helping high-risk individuals and certain groups where adherence to daily medication has been a major challenge or not a realistic option,” added Birnkrant. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The fight against the HIV has been raging around the world for quite some time. As a huge respite, an injectable medication has been approved for prevention against HIV by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.

The fight against the HIV has been raging around the world for quite some time. As a huge respite, an injectable medication has been approved for prevention against HIV by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. It is the first long-acting drug for use as pre-exposure prevention or PrEP, the agency announced on Monday. Also Read: 'An event cancelled is better than a life cancelled': WHO chief The name of the new drug is Apretude. It can be injected after every two months. The medicine is an alternative to prevention pills for HIV, such as Truvada and Descovy. These pills reduce the risk of HIV by 99% if taken daily. Analysing the safety and efficacy of the drug, two trials by FDA found that Apretude fared better in reducing chances of contracting HIV than the oral medications, which are taken daily. Also Read: Biden was in close contact with official who tested positive for Covid In a statement, Dr Debra Birnkrant, director, antivirals division, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said, “Today’s approval adds an important tool in the effort to end the HIV epidemic by providing the first option to prevent HIV that does not involve taking a daily pill.” This medication has been made by ViiV Healthcare, which is majority owned by GlaxoSmithKline. “This injection, given every two months, will be critical to addressing the HIV epidemic in the US, including helping high-risk individuals and certain groups where adherence to daily medication has been a major challenge or not a realistic option,” added Birnkrant. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, injectable medication for prevention from HIV gets FDA nod in US

The new variant of Covid- Omicron, was first detected in South Africa on November 24. Ever since then, the variant has been rapidly spreading all across the world. However, it is still not clear as to where and how the variant emerged from. One clear thing is that it did not emerge from other variants of concern - Alpha, Beta or Delta. It emerged from the deadly coronavirus which has been circulating for over one year now.

Researchers have expounded several theories pertaining to the origin of this new variant. While few think that Omicron originated from a remote region of southern Africa others think that it evolved in infected animals, such as rats and then traced its way to humans.&nbsp;

Another explanation states that the variant came in from a person with a weak immune system - a person having cancer treatment or someone with uncontrolled HIV. Weak immunity allowed this virus to mutate.

Omicron has over 50 mutations. Out of this, at least 30 are in the spike protein that the virus uses to gain entry to host cells.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-could-cause-75000-deaths-in-england-by-april-2022-experts-436153">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron variant could cause 75,000 deaths in England by April, 2022: Experts</a>

The theory states that high levels of HIV patients in South Africa might have provided an ideal environment for the variant to evolve. Nearly two-thirds of the global population in the region is affected by HIV.&nbsp;

Dr Steven Kemp, a research associate at the University of Cambridge, while speaking to Medical News Today said, "The high prevalence of HIV in South Africa may have contributed to the evolution of the Omicron variant. However, it is important to emphasise that HIV is not the only disease [that] can cause immunosuppression in individuals.”

The World Health Organization has designated it as a "variant of concern".

The new Covid variant has created panic as countries have banned flights from South Africa where it was first discovered including other African countries.&nbsp;

Various countries have tightened curbs to control the spread of this variant.

(With inputs from agencies)

The new variant of Covid- Omicron, was first detected in South Africa on November 24. Ever since then, the variant has been rapidly spreading all across the world.

The new variant of Covid- Omicron, was first detected in South Africa on November 24. Ever since then, the variant has been rapidly spreading all across the world. However, it is still not clear as to where and how the variant emerged from. One clear thing is that it did not emerge from other variants of concern - Alpha, Beta or Delta. It emerged from the deadly coronavirus which has been circulating for over one year now. Researchers have expounded several theories pertaining to the origin of this new variant. While few think that Omicron originated from a remote region of southern Africa others think that it evolved in infected animals, such as rats and then traced its way to humans. Another explanation states that the variant came in from a person with a weak immune system - a person having cancer treatment or someone with uncontrolled HIV. Weak immunity allowed this virus to mutate. Omicron has over 50 mutations. Out of this, at least 30 are in the spike protein that the virus uses to gain entry to host cells. Also read | Omicron variant could cause 75,000 deaths in England by April, 2022: Experts The theory states that high levels of HIV patients in South Africa might have provided an ideal environment for the variant to evolve. Nearly two-thirds of the global population in the region is affected by HIV. Dr Steven Kemp, a research associate at the University of Cambridge, while speaking to Medical News Today said, "The high prevalence of HIV in South Africa may have contributed to the evolution of the Omicron variant. However, it is important to emphasise that HIV is not the only disease [that] can cause immunosuppression in individuals.” The World Health Organization has designated it as a "variant of concern". The new Covid variant has created panic as countries have banned flights from South Africa where it was first discovered including other African countries. Various countries have tightened curbs to control the spread of this variant. (With inputs from agencies)

Is HIV behind the emergence of Omicron? Here is what we know so far

British defence ministry said that it is planning to allow HIV positive people to join British armed forces if they no longer carry detectable amount of the virus. Military persons who become infected after they get enlisted can already remain in the armed forces. However, they are categorised as being not fully fit. The ministry said that this categorisation has been planned to be changed.

"Drug treatment has revolutionised the lives and outcomes of people diagnosed with HIV. As a modern and inclusive employer, it is only right that we recognise and act on the latest scientific evidence," junior defence minister Leo Docherty said.

The United States also currently bans people with HIV from joining its armed forces, and has faced legal challenge over its policy not to allow enlisted personnel who are HIV positive to commission as officers.

With the right treatment, the amount of virus in the blood of people infected with HIV can be reduced to undetectable levels, which in turn effectively eliminates the chances of them passing the virus which causes AIDS on to others.

From early next year, serving British military personnel who have tested positive for HIV, but no longer carry a detectable viral load, will be classed as fully fit, meaning they can be deployed on military operations.

People taking drugs that reduce the risk of contracting HIV will also be able to join the armed forces. Historically anyone taking regular medication has been unable to join Britain's armed forces, with limited exceptions such as contraceptives.

The planned changes were welcomed by Britain's National AIDS Trust. "A career in the armed forces was the only career not open to people living with HIV in the UK, and with this much-needed change the military will be more able to meet its obligation to promote inclusivity within its ranks," said Deborah Gold, the trust's chief executive.

(With inputs from agencies)

British defence ministry said that it is planning to allow HIV positive people to join British armed forces if they no longer carry detectable amount of the virus.

British defence ministry said that it is planning to allow HIV positive people to join British armed forces if they no longer carry detectable amount of the virus. Military persons who become infected after they get enlisted can already remain in the armed forces. However, they are categorised as being not fully fit. The ministry said that this categorisation has been planned to be changed. "Drug treatment has revolutionised the lives and outcomes of people diagnosed with HIV. As a modern and inclusive employer, it is only right that we recognise and act on the latest scientific evidence," junior defence minister Leo Docherty said. The United States also currently bans people with HIV from joining its armed forces, and has faced legal challenge over its policy not to allow enlisted personnel who are HIV positive to commission as officers. With the right treatment, the amount of virus in the blood of people infected with HIV can be reduced to undetectable levels, which in turn effectively eliminates the chances of them passing the virus which causes AIDS on to others. From early next year, serving British military personnel who have tested positive for HIV, but no longer carry a detectable viral load, will be classed as fully fit, meaning they can be deployed on military operations. People taking drugs that reduce the risk of contracting HIV will also be able to join the armed forces. Historically anyone taking regular medication has been unable to join Britain's armed forces, with limited exceptions such as contraceptives. The planned changes were welcomed by Britain's National AIDS Trust. "A career in the armed forces was the only career not open to people living with HIV in the UK, and with this much-needed change the military will be more able to meet its obligation to promote inclusivity within its ranks," said Deborah Gold, the trust's chief executive. (With inputs from agencies)

British armed forces plan to allow people with HIV to join

According to a new report by WHO, HIV drug resistance is on the rise. The report has also found that the number of people with the virus being treated with antiretrovirals has also increased to 27.5 million. It has witnessed an annual increase of two million. &nbsp;

The HIV drug-resistance report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) said four out of five nations with high rates have seen success in suppressing the virus with antiretroviral treatments. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/highly-mutated-new-covid-variant-uk-bans-6-african-nations-flights-who-calls-special-meeting-432019" hreflang="en">Highly mutated new Covid variant: UK bans 6 African nations' flights, WHO calls special meeting</a>

The study also found a rise in nations reaching a 10 per cent threshold of resistance to a class of drugs. The WHO said, it underlined the need for a move to an alternative treatment, which was recommended since 2019. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In 21 out of 30 nations surveyed in the study, the resistance exceeding the 10% threshold was reported. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-take-weeks-to-understand-new-virus-variant-says-who-432124" hreflang="en">Will take weeks to understand new virus variant, says WHO</a>

The surveys in 10 sub-Saharan African nations showed that switching from non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors was important for children. Nearly half of infants were diagnosed with carrying the drug-resistant HIV. &nbsp;

Meg Doherty, director, WHO’s global HIV, hepatitis and STI programmes, said the report holds nations accountable for monitoring drug resistance and ensuring effective treatment for patients.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

According to a new report by WHO, HIV drug resistance is on the rise. The report has also found that the number of people with the virus being treated with antiretrovirals has also increased to 27.

According to a new report by WHO, HIV drug resistance is on the rise. The report has also found that the number of people with the virus being treated with antiretrovirals has also increased to 27.5 million. It has witnessed an annual increase of two million. The HIV drug-resistance report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) said four out of five nations with high rates have seen success in suppressing the virus with antiretroviral treatments. Also Read: Highly mutated new Covid variant: UK bans 6 African nations' flights, WHO calls special meeting The study also found a rise in nations reaching a 10 per cent threshold of resistance to a class of drugs. The WHO said, it underlined the need for a move to an alternative treatment, which was recommended since 2019. In 21 out of 30 nations surveyed in the study, the resistance exceeding the 10% threshold was reported. Also Read: Will take weeks to understand new virus variant, says WHO The surveys in 10 sub-Saharan African nations showed that switching from non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors was important for children. Nearly half of infants were diagnosed with carrying the drug-resistant HIV. Meg Doherty, director, WHO’s global HIV, hepatitis and STI programmes, said the report holds nations accountable for monitoring drug resistance and ensuring effective treatment for patients. (With inputs from agencies)

Resistance to HIV drug on rise, finds WHO report

University of Harvard scientists have identified the second person,&nbsp;known as the 'Esperanza Patient' whose body has been able to get rid of HIV on its own without the use of antiretroviral drugs.

Scientists reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine that they were unable to find intact HIV genomes from 1.19 billion blood cells and 500 million tissue cells from the second untreated person living with HIV.

Xu Yu of the Ragon Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University said the case represents the second instance of a sterilising cure.

Loreen Willenberg, a 67-year-old California woman, was the first such person, who maintained control of the virus for nearly three decades without antiretroviral drugs.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/johnson-johnsons-imbokodo-trial-for-hiv-vaccine-fails-in-sub-saharan-africa-409800">Johnson &amp; Johnson's 'Imbokodo' trial for HIV vaccine fails in sub-Saharan Africa</a>

The research team identified Willenberg as having no intact HIV sequence in her genome, suggesting that her immune system may have eliminated the HIV reservoir.

Researchers may be able to develop HIV treatments that mimic these immune responses if the immune mechanisms underlying this response can be understood.

"We are now looking toward the possibility of inducing this kind of immunity in persons on ART through vaccination, with the goal of educating their immune systems to be able to control the virus without ART," Yu said.

Yu's team sequenced billions of cells from the San Francisco Patient, Willenberg, looking for HIV sequences that could be used to produce new viruses, but it could not find any.&nbsp;

The extraordinary discovery, the first known case of sterilising cure without stem cell transplantation, was reported in the journal Nature in 2020.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/argentina-second-person-known-to-be-naturally-cured-of-hiv-raises-hopes-for-millions-370742">Argentina: Second person known to be naturally cured of HIV raises hopes for millions</a>

"These findings, especially with the identification of a second case, indicate there may be an actionable path to a sterilising cure for people who are not able to do this on their own," said Yu, who is also a physician investigator at MGH.

HIV inserts copies of its genome into cells' DNA during infection, forming a viral reservoir. This state allows the virus to hide from anti-HIV drugs and the body's immune system.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Woman in Argentina defeats Aids 'naturally'

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-woman-in-argentina-defeats-aids-naturally-371788/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

People's bodies continuously produce new viral particles from this reservoir. However, antiretroviral therapy (ART) cannot eliminate the reservoir, necessitating daily treatment to prevent the virus from multiplying.

There are some people, known as elite controllers, who have immune systems that can suppress HIV without medication. A type of immune cell called a killer T-cell suppresses the virus without the need for medication, even though they still have viral reservoirs.

According to Yu, the new findings may indicate that both patients display a killer T-cell response driving this sterilising cure, suggesting that other people with HIV may have also achieved the cure.

(With inputs from agencies)

University of Harvard scientists have identified the second person, known as the 'Esperanza Patient' whose body has been able to get rid of HIV on its own without the use of antiretroviral drugs.

University of Harvard scientists have identified the second person, known as the 'Esperanza Patient' whose body has been able to get rid of HIV on its own without the use of antiretroviral drugs. Scientists reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine that they were unable to find intact HIV genomes from 1.19 billion blood cells and 500 million tissue cells from the second untreated person living with HIV. Xu Yu of the Ragon Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University said the case represents the second instance of a sterilising cure. Loreen Willenberg, a 67-year-old California woman, was the first such person, who maintained control of the virus for nearly three decades without antiretroviral drugs. Also read | Johnson & Johnson's 'Imbokodo' trial for HIV vaccine fails in sub-Saharan Africa The research team identified Willenberg as having no intact HIV sequence in her genome, suggesting that her immune system may have eliminated the HIV reservoir. Researchers may be able to develop HIV treatments that mimic these immune responses if the immune mechanisms underlying this response can be understood. "We are now looking toward the possibility of inducing this kind of immunity in persons on ART through vaccination, with the goal of educating their immune systems to be able to control the virus without ART," Yu said. Yu's team sequenced billions of cells from the San Francisco Patient, Willenberg, looking for HIV sequences that could be used to produce new viruses, but it could not find any. The extraordinary discovery, the first known case of sterilising cure without stem cell transplantation, was reported in the journal Nature in 2020. Also read | Argentina: Second person known to be naturally cured of HIV raises hopes for millions "These findings, especially with the identification of a second case, indicate there may be an actionable path to a sterilising cure for people who are not able to do this on their own," said Yu, who is also a physician investigator at MGH. HIV inserts copies of its genome into cells' DNA during infection, forming a viral reservoir. This state allows the virus to hide from anti-HIV drugs and the body's immune system. Watch | Gravitas: Woman in Argentina defeats Aids 'naturally' People's bodies continuously produce new viral particles from this reservoir. However, antiretroviral therapy (ART) cannot eliminate the reservoir, necessitating daily treatment to prevent the virus from multiplying. There are some people, known as elite controllers, who have immune systems that can suppress HIV without medication. A type of immune cell called a killer T-cell suppresses the virus without the need for medication, even though they still have viral reservoirs. According to Yu, the new findings may indicate that both patients display a killer T-cell response driving this sterilising cure, suggesting that other people with HIV may have also achieved the cure. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists identify second HIV patient whose body got rid of the deadly virus itself

Amid concerns of Sputnik V vaccine allegedly causing HIV in men, Namibia has also decided to suspend the use of the Russian vaccine.<o:p></o:p>

The African country announced on Saturday that the health experts and government officials studied the reports of negative effects of the Sputnik vaccine and therefore decided to discontinue the use of Sputnik V.

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This decision was "out of [an] abundance of caution that men [who] received Sputnik V may be at higher risk of contracting HIV,"&nbsp;Namibia’s health ministry said in a statement.

<o:p></o:p>

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/delta-plus-variant-may-be-more-easily-transmissible-uk-health-experts-423357">Delta 'Plus' variant may be more easily transmissible: UK health experts</a></o:p>

Suspension of the vaccine in Namibia comes a few days after South African Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA)&nbsp;declared that it will not be approving Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine.<o:p></o:p>

SAPHRA claimed that Sputnik V carries the risk of increasing risk of HIV infection among men. "Use of the&nbsp;Sputnik&nbsp;V&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;in South Africa, a setting of a high&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;prevalence and incidence, may increase the risk of vaccinated males acquiring&nbsp;HIV," the South African Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) said in a statement.<o:p></o:p>

However, the Russian manufacturer, Gamaleya Centre, has rubbished these reports and has called these claims to be 'unfounded', while vowing to bring evidence to prove SAPHRA wrong.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-new-infection-is-spreading-from-hong-kongs-wet-markets-422778">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-new-infection-is-spreading-from-hong-kongs-wet-markets-422778/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">"Regarding the earlier announcement that prompted Namibia’s decision, it must be noted that SAHPRA has confirmed that the rolling review of Sputnik V continues,"&nbsp;Gamaleya Centre said in a statement. "All the required information confirming that possible concerns about the safety of Ad5-vectored vaccines among those infected with HIV and in populations at risk for HIV infection are completely unfounded and baseless will be submitted to the South African regulator."</div>

"While adenoviruses, including ad-5, are one of the most frequent causes of light common flu experienced by everyone, there is no evidence of increased risk of HIV infection among human population after common cold or conjunctivitis," the statement continued. "There is no scientific or clinical evidence whatsoever confirming the association of wild type adenoviruses or replicative defective adenovirus vectors with increased risk of HIV infection in high risk groups."&nbsp;&nbsp;

<o:p></o:p>

The two countries, South Africa and Namibia, may have also taken the decision considering that these two African countries have high HIV prevalence rates, as per news agency Reuters.<o:p></o:p>

Russian manufacturer has also refuted Namibia's suspension of the vaccine and has said that "Sputnik V remains one of the safest and most efficient vaccines against COVID-19 in use globally" as 250 clinical trials and 75 international publications&nbsp;have proved that the vaccine is safe for use against coronavirus.

<o:p>The experts also added that these "inaccurate speculations that have since been refuted relate to an unsuccessful clinical trials of another HIV vaccine by another manufacturer that simply did not seem effective enough".</o:p>

Amid concerns of Sputnik V vaccine allegedly causing HIV in men, Namibia has also decided to suspend the use of the Russian vaccine. The African country announced on Saturday that the health experts and government officials studied the reports of negative effects of the Sputnik vaccine and therefore decided to discontinue the use of Sputnik V.

Amid concerns of Sputnik V vaccine allegedly causing HIV in men, Namibia has also decided to suspend the use of the Russian vaccine. The African country announced on Saturday that the health experts and government officials studied the reports of negative effects of the Sputnik vaccine and therefore decided to discontinue the use of Sputnik V. × This decision was "out of [an] abundance of caution that men [who] received Sputnik V may be at higher risk of contracting HIV," Namibia’s health ministry said in a statement. Also read | Delta 'Plus' variant may be more easily transmissible: UK health experts Suspension of the vaccine in Namibia comes a few days after South African Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) declared that it will not be approving Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. SAPHRA claimed that Sputnik V carries the risk of increasing risk of HIV infection among men. "Use of the Sputnik V vaccine in South Africa, a setting of a high HIV prevalence and incidence, may increase the risk of vaccinated males acquiring HIV," the South African Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) said in a statement. However, the Russian manufacturer, Gamaleya Centre, has rubbished these reports and has called these claims to be 'unfounded', while vowing to bring evidence to prove SAPHRA wrong. WATCH | "Regarding the earlier announcement that prompted Namibia’s decision, it must be noted that SAHPRA has confirmed that the rolling review of Sputnik V continues," Gamaleya Centre said in a statement. "All the required information confirming that possible concerns about the safety of Ad5-vectored vaccines among those infected with HIV and in populations at risk for HIV infection are completely unfounded and baseless will be submitted to the South African regulator." "While adenoviruses, including ad-5, are one of the most frequent causes of light common flu experienced by everyone, there is no evidence of increased risk of HIV infection among human population after common cold or conjunctivitis," the statement continued. "There is no scientific or clinical evidence whatsoever confirming the association of wild type adenoviruses or replicative defective adenovirus vectors with increased risk of HIV infection in high risk groups." The two countries, South Africa and Namibia, may have also taken the decision considering that these two African countries have high HIV prevalence rates, as per news agency Reuters. Russian manufacturer has also refuted Namibia's suspension of the vaccine and has said that "Sputnik V remains one of the safest and most efficient vaccines against COVID-19 in use globally" as 250 clinical trials and 75 international publications have proved that the vaccine is safe for use against coronavirus. The experts also added that these "inaccurate speculations that have since been refuted relate to an unsuccessful clinical trials of another HIV vaccine by another manufacturer that simply did not seem effective enough".

Namibia suspends use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine due to concerns of HIV infection

South Africa's health products regulator on Monday said that it would not approve Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine as it could increase the risk of HIV infection among men.

South Africa's health products regulator on Monday said that it would not approve Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine as it could increase the risk of HIV infection among men. The decision was based on earlier studies which tested the safety of a modified form of adenovirus a type of virus that causes respiratory infections, known as the Ad5 and contained in the Russian jab. "Use of the Sputnik V vaccine in South Africa, a setting of a high HIV prevalence and incidence, may increase the risk of vaccinated males acquiring HIV," the South African Health Product Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) said in a statement. It further noted that the company behind the application for the use of Sputnik V in South Africa had no proof that the formula would be safe "in settings of high HIV prevalence". Also read | 'Universal booster': Sputnik Light's efficacy higher than other vaccines, experts claim "The rolling review of the Sputnik V vaccine will, however, remain open for submission of relevant safety data in support of the application," it added. Russia's Gamaleya Centre, which developed Sputnik V, said it would produce information to show that SAHPRA's concerns were "completely unfounded". "Speculation regarding the association between adenovirus type-5 vectored vaccines and HIV transmission in high risk groups has been based on small-scale studies," it said in a statement. This week, South Africa is set to begin vaccinating children as young as 12 as they are now offering booster shots to certain immuno-compromised citizens. South Africa is currently offering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson, which also contains an adenovirus but of a different type, and the rMNA Pfizer/BioNTech jab. Sinovac has also been approved.

South Africa rejects Sputnik V vaccine over HIV fears

In a phase-one clinical trial that began on Monday, researchers at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom gave the first doses of a potential HIV vaccine to volunteers.&nbsp;

According to the university, the experiment will assess the HIVconsvX vaccine's safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity.&nbsp;

The HIV-CORE 0052 study, which is part of the European Aids Vaccine Initiative, will enrol 13 HIV-negative people between the ages of 18 and 65 who are not deemed to be at high risk of infection.&nbsp;

The vaccine is referred to as a "mosaic," which means it can target a wide spectrum of HIV-1 strains and might be used all around the world.

Unlike previous HIV vaccine candidates that aim to produce antibodies from B-cells, HIVconsvX aims to activate the immune system's T cells and direct them to HIV's most conserved and vulnerable areas.&nbsp;

"An effective HIV vaccine has been elusive for 40 years.This trial is the first in a series of evaluations of this novel vaccine strategy in both HIV-negative individuals for prevention and in people living with HIV for cure, " Tomas Hanke, the trial’s lead researcher and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute, said in a statement.

If left untreated, HIV damages the body's immune system and can develop into life-threatening AIDS.

The UN announced in 2014 that by 2020, the number of people newly infected with the virus would be reduced to 500,000. However, nearly 1.5 million additional cases were reported last year.&nbsp; 
 
AIDS was first clinically reported on June 5, 1981, with five cases in the United States.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a phase-one clinical trial that began on Monday, researchers at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom gave the first doses of a potential HIV vaccine to volunteers.

In a phase-one clinical trial that began on Monday, researchers at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom gave the first doses of a potential HIV vaccine to volunteers. According to the university, the experiment will assess the HIVconsvX vaccine's safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity. The HIV-CORE 0052 study, which is part of the European Aids Vaccine Initiative, will enrol 13 HIV-negative people between the ages of 18 and 65 who are not deemed to be at high risk of infection. The vaccine is referred to as a "mosaic," which means it can target a wide spectrum of HIV-1 strains and might be used all around the world. Unlike previous HIV vaccine candidates that aim to produce antibodies from B-cells, HIVconsvX aims to activate the immune system's T cells and direct them to HIV's most conserved and vulnerable areas. "An effective HIV vaccine has been elusive for 40 years.This trial is the first in a series of evaluations of this novel vaccine strategy in both HIV-negative individuals for prevention and in people living with HIV for cure, " Tomas Hanke, the trial’s lead researcher and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute, said in a statement. If left untreated, HIV damages the body's immune system and can develop into life-threatening AIDS. The UN announced in 2014 that by 2020, the number of people newly infected with the virus would be reduced to 500,000. However, nearly 1.5 million additional cases were reported last year. AIDS was first clinically reported on June 5, 1981, with five cases in the United States. (With inputs from agencies)

HIV vaccine trial begins at Oxford after 40 years since the first reported case of AIDS

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has spun off multiple mutations that have spiked numbers in second waves across the world, most recently in India. Now, a new study has revealed an unsettling case of Covid-related mutation. Turns out, a woman with HIV carried the virus for 216 days. During this time, the virus mutated at least 30 times, a study awaiting review has revealed.

Published on Thursday, <a href="https://www.krisp.org.za/manuscripts/MEDRXIV-2021-258228v1-deOliveira.pdf">the report</a> referred to an unnamed woman from South Africa. The 36-year-old woman reportedly had Covid for over half a year and was host to numerous mutations, including 13 in the spike protein which is responsible for the virus evading one’s immune response.&nbsp;In addition, 19 other mutations were recorded according to the study.

The study sheds light on how erratic coronavirus could become in hosts that have other long-term ailments which diminish the immune system’s ability to fight the virus.

"While most people effectively clear Sars-CoV-2, there are several reports of prolonged infection in immunosuppressed individuals. We present a case of prolonged infection of greater than 6 months with shedding of high titter SARS-CoV-2 in an individual with advanced HIV and antiretroviral treatment failure. Through whole genome sequencing at multiple time-points, we demonstrate the early emergence of the E484K substitution associated with escape from neutralizing antibodies, followed by other escape mutations and the N501Y substitution found in most variants of concern," the study noted.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science-technology/uk-variant-first-images-of-b117-coronavirus-mutation-382771" hreflang="en">UK variant: First images of B.1.1.7 coronavirus mutation</a>

The study added that the mutations reported in the woman were not a result of the treatments being offered to her to fight COVID-19.

“Despite a short clinical illness of moderate severity, SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity persisted up to 216 days. We demonstrate significant shifts in the virus population over that time, involving multiple mutations at key neutralizing antibody epitopes in the spike RBD and N terminal domain (NTD). Unlike many of the other reported cases, virus evolution was not driven by the receipt of immune-based therapies (convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies)”, the study added.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-wuhan-virus-mutations-you-need-to-know-about-377838/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

This implies that the virus can mutate multiple times in a single host and can continue to evade the defence mechanisms of the immune system among those who are diagnosed with other serious diseases. The study makes no mention of the virus being passed on to others. Even then, people with HIV are more likely to experience serious side effects of the virus with a higher fatality rate of over 2.75 times than others.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/coronavirus-mutations-that-could-evade-immune-response-flagged-by-indian-scientists-report-381970" hreflang="en">Coronavirus mutations that could 'evade immune response' flagged by Indian scientists: Report</a>

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has spun off multiple mutations that have spiked numbers in second waves across the world, most recently in India. Now, a new study has revealed an unsettling case of Covid-related mutation.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has spun off multiple mutations that have spiked numbers in second waves across the world, most recently in India. Now, a new study has revealed an unsettling case of Covid-related mutation. Turns out, a woman with HIV carried the virus for 216 days. During this time, the virus mutated at least 30 times, a study awaiting review has revealed. Published on Thursday, the report referred to an unnamed woman from South Africa. The 36-year-old woman reportedly had Covid for over half a year and was host to numerous mutations, including 13 in the spike protein which is responsible for the virus evading one’s immune response. In addition, 19 other mutations were recorded according to the study. The study sheds light on how erratic coronavirus could become in hosts that have other long-term ailments which diminish the immune system’s ability to fight the virus. "While most people effectively clear Sars-CoV-2, there are several reports of prolonged infection in immunosuppressed individuals. We present a case of prolonged infection of greater than 6 months with shedding of high titter SARS-CoV-2 in an individual with advanced HIV and antiretroviral treatment failure. Through whole genome sequencing at multiple time-points, we demonstrate the early emergence of the E484K substitution associated with escape from neutralizing antibodies, followed by other escape mutations and the N501Y substitution found in most variants of concern," the study noted. Also read: UK variant: First images of B.1.1.7 coronavirus mutation The study added that the mutations reported in the woman were not a result of the treatments being offered to her to fight COVID-19. “Despite a short clinical illness of moderate severity, SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity persisted up to 216 days. We demonstrate significant shifts in the virus population over that time, involving multiple mutations at key neutralizing antibody epitopes in the spike RBD and N terminal domain (NTD). Unlike many of the other reported cases, virus evolution was not driven by the receipt of immune-based therapies (convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies)”, the study added. This implies that the virus can mutate multiple times in a single host and can continue to evade the defence mechanisms of the immune system among those who are diagnosed with other serious diseases. The study makes no mention of the virus being passed on to others. Even then, people with HIV are more likely to experience serious side effects of the virus with a higher fatality rate of over 2.75 times than others. Also read: Coronavirus mutations that could 'evade immune response' flagged by Indian scientists: Report

HIV+ woman had COVID-19 for over 6 months which mutated 30 times: Study

Forty years ago this month the first men began dying of a mysterious disease in California that would later be identified as&nbsp;AIDS.

It would go on to claim millions of lives across the world.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/surge-in-deaths-due-to-hiv-tuberculosis-and-malaria-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-study-313145">Surge in deaths due to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria amid coronavirus pandemic: Study</a>

Here is a look at the discovery and the fight against the deadly condition.

1981: First alert&nbsp;

In June 1981 US epidemiologists report five cases of a rare form of pneumonia in gay men from California, some of whom have died. Unusual versions of skin cancer are identified in others.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hivaids-vaccine-why-dont-we-have-one-after-37-years-when-we-have-several-for-covid-19-after-a-few-months-385776">HIV/AIDS vaccine: Why don’t we have one after 37 years, when we have several for COVID-19 after a few months?</a>

It is the first alert about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), still unknown and unnamed.&nbsp;

Doctors identify "opportunistic infections" among injected drug users late in the year and in haemophiliacs and Haitian residents in the United States (mid-1982).

The term&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;appears for the first time in 1982.

1983: Identifying&nbsp;HIV

In January 1983 researchers in France, Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Jean-Claude Chermann, working under Luc Montagnier, identify the virus that "might be" responsible for&nbsp;AIDS.&nbsp;It is dubbed LAV.

The following year, US specialist Robert Gallo is said to have found the "probable" cause of&nbsp;AIDS, the retrovirus HTLV-III.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/argentina-second-person-known-to-be-naturally-cured-of-hiv-raises-hopes-for-millions-370742">Argentina: Second person known to be naturally cured of HIV raises hopes for millions</a>

The two viruses turn out to be one and the same, and in May 1986 it becomes officially known as the human immunodeficiency virus or&nbsp;HIV.

Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier win a Nobel prize in 2008 for their discovery.

1987: Anti-retroviral treatment&nbsp;

In March 1987, the first anti-retroviral treatment known as AZT is authorized in the US. It is expensive and has many side effects.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-trials-for-potential-hiv-vaccine-show-optimistic-results-375864">New trials for potential HIV vaccine show optimistic results</a>

The World Health Organization (WHO) declares December 1, 1988, the first World&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;Day, to raise awareness. By June the following year, the number of&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;cases worldwide is estimated at more than 150,000.

The early 1990s: Falling stars

US actor Rock Hudson is the first high-profile&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;death in October 1985. A host of other stars succumb to the disease, including British singer and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury (November 1991) and the legendary Russian dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev (January 1993).

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hiv-self-test-prices-to-be-slashed-in-half-in-135-countries-381086">HIV self-test prices to be slashed in half in 135 countries</a>

In 1994,&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;becomes the leading cause of death among Americans aged between 25 and 44.&nbsp;

1995-96: New approach&nbsp;

A new class of drugs signals the start of combinations of different anti-retroviral therapies.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-in-tell-all-interview-billy-porter-reveals-hes-had-hiv-since-14-years-386150">In tell-all interview, Billy Porter reveals he's had HIV since 14 years</a>

Called tri-therapies, they provide the first effective treatment for&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;although they are not a cure and remain costly.

1996 is the first year in which the number of&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;deaths declines in the US.

1999: 50 million infections&nbsp;

A report released by WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;(UNAIDS) in November 1999 estimates the number of people infected with&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;since it first appeared at 50 million, of whom 16 million have died.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-can-she-have-hiv-pakistan-town-struggles-with-surge-in-infections-223487">'How can she have HIV?': Pakistan town struggles with surge in infections</a>

Africa is the hardest-hit continent, with 12.2 million cases.

2003: Life-saving PEPFAR

In February 2003, US President George W. Bush launches the President's Emergency Plan for&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;Relief, or PEPFAR, to combat the spread of&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;in 15 of the hardest-hit areas of Africa and the Caribbean.

With an initial budget of $15 billion over its first five years, PEPFAR had by 2018 committed $70 billion to the&nbsp;AIDS&nbsp;response.

2009: The 'Berlin Patient'

The first known patient cured of&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;is announced. The "Berlin Patient," later named American Timothy Brown, underwent two transplants of bone marrow containing a mutation of a gene that blocks&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;from attacking host cells.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-berlin-patient-first-person-to-be-cured-of-hiv-dies-due-to-cancer-331454">'The Berlin patient' - First person to be cured of HIV dies due to cancer</a>

He underwent total body irradiation to treat leukaemia and nearly did not survive the process.

2012:&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;'shield'

In July 2012 the first-ever daily pill to help prevent&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;infection is approved by US regulators. Truvada is pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, taken by high-risk people who are&nbsp;HIV-negative in order to prevent them from being infected.

2017: Treatment spreads

For the first time ever, more than half of the global population living with&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;are receiving antiretroviral treatment, UNAIDS reports.

2019: The 'London Patient'

The second patient with sustained&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;suppression is reported after undergoing a transplant of stem cells with the same mutation as in the Berlin case.&nbsp;

Regular testing has confirmed that the patient's viral load remained undetectable for 19 months and counting.

2021: Vaccine hopes

Success in producing an anti-Covid vaccine in 2020 fuels hopes that a breakthrough in securing a shot against&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;might finally be in the offing.

Moderna in January announced it has started phase one clinical trials of flu and&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;vaccines using its messenger RNA technique.

There are 37.6 million people living with&nbsp;HIV&nbsp;globally, according to UNAIDS in its latest annual figures for 2020. Since the start of the epidemic 34.7 million have died from&nbsp;AIDS-related illnesses.&nbsp;

Forty years ago this month the first men began dying of a mysterious disease in California that would later be identified as AIDS. It would go on to claim millions of lives across the world.

Forty years ago this month the first men began dying of a mysterious disease in California that would later be identified as AIDS. It would go on to claim millions of lives across the world. Also Read | Surge in deaths due to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria amid coronavirus pandemic: Study Here is a look at the discovery and the fight against the deadly condition. 1981: First alert In June 1981 US epidemiologists report five cases of a rare form of pneumonia in gay men from California, some of whom have died. Unusual versions of skin cancer are identified in others. Also Read | HIV/AIDS vaccine: Why don’t we have one after 37 years, when we have several for COVID-19 after a few months? It is the first alert about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), still unknown and unnamed. Doctors identify "opportunistic infections" among injected drug users late in the year and in haemophiliacs and Haitian residents in the United States (mid-1982). The term AIDS appears for the first time in 1982. 1983: Identifying HIV In January 1983 researchers in France, Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Jean-Claude Chermann, working under Luc Montagnier, identify the virus that "might be" responsible for AIDS. It is dubbed LAV. The following year, US specialist Robert Gallo is said to have found the "probable" cause of AIDS, the retrovirus HTLV-III. Also Read | Argentina: Second person known to be naturally cured of HIV raises hopes for millions The two viruses turn out to be one and the same, and in May 1986 it becomes officially known as the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier win a Nobel prize in 2008 for their discovery. 1987: Anti-retroviral treatment In March 1987, the first anti-retroviral treatment known as AZT is authorized in the US. It is expensive and has many side effects. Also Read | New trials for potential HIV vaccine show optimistic results The World Health Organization (WHO) declares December 1, 1988, the first World AIDS Day, to raise awareness. By June the following year, the number of AIDS cases worldwide is estimated at more than 150,000. The early 1990s: Falling stars US actor Rock Hudson is the first high-profile AIDS death in October 1985. A host of other stars succumb to the disease, including British singer and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury (November 1991) and the legendary Russian dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev (January 1993). Also Read | HIV self-test prices to be slashed in half in 135 countries In 1994, AIDS becomes the leading cause of death among Americans aged between 25 and 44. 1995-96: New approach A new class of drugs signals the start of combinations of different anti-retroviral therapies. Also Read | In tell-all interview, Billy Porter reveals he's had HIV since 14 years Called tri-therapies, they provide the first effective treatment for HIV although they are not a cure and remain costly. 1996 is the first year in which the number of AIDS deaths declines in the US. 1999: 50 million infections A report released by WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) in November 1999 estimates the number of people infected with HIV since it first appeared at 50 million, of whom 16 million have died. Also Read | 'How can she have HIV?': Pakistan town struggles with surge in infections Africa is the hardest-hit continent, with 12.2 million cases. 2003: Life-saving PEPFAR In February 2003, US President George W. Bush launches the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, to combat the spread of AIDS in 15 of the hardest-hit areas of Africa and the Caribbean. With an initial budget of $15 billion over its first five years, PEPFAR had by 2018 committed $70 billion to the AIDS response. 2009: The 'Berlin Patient' The first known patient cured of HIV is announced. The "Berlin Patient," later named American Timothy Brown, underwent two transplants of bone marrow containing a mutation of a gene that blocks HIV from attacking host cells. Also Read | 'The Berlin patient' - First person to be cured of HIV dies due to cancer He underwent total body irradiation to treat leukaemia and nearly did not survive the process. 2012: HIV 'shield' In July 2012 the first-ever daily pill to help prevent HIV infection is approved by US regulators. Truvada is pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, taken by high-risk people who are HIV-negative in order to prevent them from being infected. 2017: Treatment spreads For the first time ever, more than half of the global population living with HIV are receiving antiretroviral treatment, UNAIDS reports. 2019: The 'London Patient' The second patient with sustained HIV suppression is reported after undergoing a transplant of stem cells with the same mutation as in the Berlin case. Regular testing has confirmed that the patient's viral load remained undetectable for 19 months and counting. 2021: Vaccine hopes Success in producing an anti-Covid vaccine in 2020 fuels hopes that a breakthrough in securing a shot against HIV might finally be in the offing. Moderna in January announced it has started phase one clinical trials of flu and HIV vaccines using its messenger RNA technique. There are 37.6 million people living with HIV globally, according to UNAIDS in its latest annual figures for 2020. Since the start of the epidemic 34.7 million have died from AIDS-related illnesses.

Four decades of AIDS: A Timeline

Dedra Spears Johnson was working as a social worker in a suburb of the US capital Washington at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1990s when she concluded Black women's needs weren't being met by efforts to fight the disease.

Highly effective medications had recently been approved, but the people around her were hitting economic barriers and cultural taboos that prevented access.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hivaids-vaccine-why-dont-we-have-one-after-37-years-when-we-have-several-for-covid-19-after-a-few-months-385776">HIV/AIDS vaccine: Why don’t we have one after 37 years, when we have several for COVID-19 after a few months?</a>

"There's a shame about feeling they have this dirty disease," Spears Johnson,&nbsp;who in 1999 co-founded a nonprofit group called Heart to Hand Inc to broaden access to testing, treatments and education, told AFP.&nbsp;

"In our community, we don't talk about sex."&nbsp;

Forty years after US scientists documented the first cases of what would later be identified as HIV, life-saving medications have brought infection rates crashing down, but racial disparities are now wider than ever.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/argentina-second-person-known-to-be-naturally-cured-of-hiv-raises-hopes-for-millions-370742">Argentina: Second person known to be naturally cured of HIV raises hopes for millions</a>

Black Americans went from making up 29 per cent of new infections in 1981 to 41 per cent in 2019, despite accounting for only 13 per cent of the US population, according to a new government report.

Part of the problem stems from the fragmented nature of the country's health care system.&nbsp;

Tens of millions are either uninsured or underinsured or reliant on government insurance for those with low incomes called Medicaid.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-trials-for-potential-hiv-vaccine-show-optimistic-results-375864">New trials for potential HIV vaccine show optimistic results</a>

On a recent visit by AFP, Heart to Hand was inundated with calls.&nbsp;

One of the callers, the receptionist told Spears Johnson, wanted to know whether Medicaid would cover treatment.

Spears Johnson said it wouldn't, but they would find another way.

'Death sentence'

On June 5, 1981, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its first report describing five young white gay men diagnosed with a rare lung infection.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hiv-self-test-prices-to-be-slashed-in-half-in-135-countries-381086">HIV self-test prices to be slashed in half in 135 countries</a>

Two were dead by the time of publication and the rest would soon follow, marking the start of the AIDS crisis. Today, there are an estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV.&nbsp;

"When I first started seeing patients with HIV, it was largely a death sentence for the infected person," Johns Hopkins University medical professor Charles Flexner, who was a medical student at the time, told AFP.

The epidemic peaked in the mid-1980s, but in 1987 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first antiretroviral drug azidothymidine (AZT), offering a ray of hope.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-in-tell-all-interview-billy-porter-reveals-hes-had-hiv-since-14-years-386150">In tell-all interview, Billy Porter reveals he's had HIV since 14 years</a>

Its toxicity and propensity to cause anaemia however proved too much for some patients, particularly those already weakened by the disease.&nbsp;

More effective treatments called tri-therapies came along in 1995 and 1996, but a patient had to take 12-16 pills a day, which often made them sick.&nbsp;

"Ann," a Black woman who was infected in 1997 by an ex-husband who later died from AIDS, said the pills were also difficult to hide.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-can-she-have-hiv-pakistan-town-struggles-with-surge-in-infections-223487">'How can she have HIV?': Pakistan town struggles with surge in infections</a>

"Some had to be refrigerated," said Ann, who declined to give her real name, fearing rejection from family and friends she loves to cook for.&nbsp;

"But I didn't want anyone to see it in my fridge. So I would keep it in a cool drawer."

Turning point&nbsp;

The emotional and physical tolls endured by patients would pay off when in 1996, AIDS-related deaths declined for the first time in the United States.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/surge-in-deaths-due-to-hiv-tuberculosis-and-malaria-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-study-313145">Surge in deaths due to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria amid coronavirus pandemic: Study</a>

The FDA's approval in 2012 of a pill called PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, led to further dramatic reductions.&nbsp;

This medicine, taken once a day, reduces the risk of getting HIV by about 99 per cent.

But again, racial disparities are glaring.&nbsp;

Only 23 per cent of people who could benefit from it were using it in 2019. This included 63 per cent of white people, but only 14 per cent of Hispanics and eight per cent of Black people.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-berlin-patient-first-person-to-be-cured-of-hiv-dies-due-to-cancer-331454">'The Berlin patient' - First person to be cured of HIV dies due to cancer</a>

One of the most at-risk groups is gay Black men, and studies have shown this is not because they engage in more risk-associated behaviours but rather that HIV is already much more prevalent in the demographic.

Beyond this, a "lack of resources and historic underfunding has plagued Black gay communities," said a 2015 report by amFAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.&nbsp;

David Wilson, a 33-year-old Black gay man who is HIV-negative, told AFP he decided to start PrEP after finding out his partner "stepped out", had sex with someone else,&nbsp;and became infected.&nbsp;

"I'm completely realistic with my sexual practices and the things I like to do," Wilson said. "That's why I decided to get on PrEP."

'We don't give up on anybody'&nbsp;

Wilson is being treated at Whitman-Walker, a sexual health clinic in downtown Washington started by gay men in the 1970s, which found itself poised to recognize the beginnings of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s.

Former Whitman-Walker board director SaVanna Wanzer, a Black transgender woman activist, became one of the infected in 1985.&nbsp;

"AIDS was classified as a gay man's disease, and they treated you like you were the lowest specimen in the world," Wanzer said.&nbsp;

Few knew how the disease was transmitted at the time, and Wanzer described patients being left alone in isolated rooms to die with "all their lunch trays stacked up in front of the door."

Back then, one of Whitman-Walker's goals was to help patients to die with dignity.&nbsp;

Today, they offer a streamlined system for affordable access to HIV prevention and care. Uninsured patients are connected to "Insurance Navigators" with the goal of getting a same-day prescription.

Sometimes, helping people get the care they need can be straightforward as providing assistance like child care or transportation, explained Spears Johnson.

"We look at structural barriers to health care," she said. "And we don't give up on anybody."

Dedra Spears Johnson was working as a social worker in a suburb of the US capital Washington at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1990s when she concluded Black women's needs weren't being met by efforts to fight the disease.

Dedra Spears Johnson was working as a social worker in a suburb of the US capital Washington at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1990s when she concluded Black women's needs weren't being met by efforts to fight the disease. Highly effective medications had recently been approved, but the people around her were hitting economic barriers and cultural taboos that prevented access. Also Read | HIV/AIDS vaccine: Why don’t we have one after 37 years, when we have several for COVID-19 after a few months? "There's a shame about feeling they have this dirty disease," Spears Johnson, who in 1999 co-founded a nonprofit group called Heart to Hand Inc to broaden access to testing, treatments and education, told AFP. "In our community, we don't talk about sex." Forty years after US scientists documented the first cases of what would later be identified as HIV, life-saving medications have brought infection rates crashing down, but racial disparities are now wider than ever. Also Read | Argentina: Second person known to be naturally cured of HIV raises hopes for millions Black Americans went from making up 29 per cent of new infections in 1981 to 41 per cent in 2019, despite accounting for only 13 per cent of the US population, according to a new government report. Part of the problem stems from the fragmented nature of the country's health care system. Tens of millions are either uninsured or underinsured or reliant on government insurance for those with low incomes called Medicaid. Also Read | New trials for potential HIV vaccine show optimistic results On a recent visit by AFP, Heart to Hand was inundated with calls. One of the callers, the receptionist told Spears Johnson, wanted to know whether Medicaid would cover treatment. Spears Johnson said it wouldn't, but they would find another way. 'Death sentence' On June 5, 1981, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its first report describing five young white gay men diagnosed with a rare lung infection. Also Read | HIV self-test prices to be slashed in half in 135 countries Two were dead by the time of publication and the rest would soon follow, marking the start of the AIDS crisis. Today, there are an estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV. "When I first started seeing patients with HIV, it was largely a death sentence for the infected person," Johns Hopkins University medical professor Charles Flexner, who was a medical student at the time, told AFP. The epidemic peaked in the mid-1980s, but in 1987 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first antiretroviral drug azidothymidine (AZT), offering a ray of hope. Also Read | In tell-all interview, Billy Porter reveals he's had HIV since 14 years Its toxicity and propensity to cause anaemia however proved too much for some patients, particularly those already weakened by the disease. More effective treatments called tri-therapies came along in 1995 and 1996, but a patient had to take 12-16 pills a day, which often made them sick. "Ann," a Black woman who was infected in 1997 by an ex-husband who later died from AIDS, said the pills were also difficult to hide. Also Read | 'How can she have HIV?': Pakistan town struggles with surge in infections "Some had to be refrigerated," said Ann, who declined to give her real name, fearing rejection from family and friends she loves to cook for. "But I didn't want anyone to see it in my fridge. So I would keep it in a cool drawer." Turning point The emotional and physical tolls endured by patients would pay off when in 1996, AIDS-related deaths declined for the first time in the United States. Also Read | Surge in deaths due to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria amid coronavirus pandemic: Study The FDA's approval in 2012 of a pill called PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, led to further dramatic reductions. This medicine, taken once a day, reduces the risk of getting HIV by about 99 per cent. But again, racial disparities are glaring. Only 23 per cent of people who could benefit from it were using it in 2019. This included 63 per cent of white people, but only 14 per cent of Hispanics and eight per cent of Black people. Also Read | 'The Berlin patient' - First person to be cured of HIV dies due to cancer One of the most at-risk groups is gay Black men, and studies have shown this is not because they engage in more risk-associated behaviours but rather that HIV is already much more prevalent in the demographic. Beyond this, a "lack of resources and historic underfunding has plagued Black gay communities," said a 2015 report by amFAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. David Wilson, a 33-year-old Black gay man who is HIV-negative, told AFP he decided to start PrEP after finding out his partner "stepped out", had sex with someone else, and became infected. "I'm completely realistic with my sexual practices and the things I like to do," Wilson said. "That's why I decided to get on PrEP." 'We don't give up on anybody' Wilson is being treated at Whitman-Walker, a sexual health clinic in downtown Washington started by gay men in the 1970s, which found itself poised to recognize the beginnings of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s. Former Whitman-Walker board director SaVanna Wanzer, a Black transgender woman activist, became one of the infected in 1985. "AIDS was classified as a gay man's disease, and they treated you like you were the lowest specimen in the world," Wanzer said. Few knew how the disease was transmitted at the time, and Wanzer described patients being left alone in isolated rooms to die with "all their lunch trays stacked up in front of the door." Back then, one of Whitman-Walker's goals was to help patients to die with dignity. Today, they offer a streamlined system for affordable access to HIV prevention and care. Uninsured patients are connected to "Insurance Navigators" with the goal of getting a same-day prescription. Sometimes, helping people get the care they need can be straightforward as providing assistance like child care or transportation, explained Spears Johnson. "We look at structural barriers to health care," she said. "And we don't give up on anybody."

Forty years on, Black Americans disproportionately hit by HIV

By Ronald C Desrosiers 
 
Smallpox has been eradicated from the face of the Earth following a highly effective, worldwide vaccination campaign.

Paralytic poliomyelitis is no longer a problem in the US because of the development and use of effective vaccines against the poliovirus.

In current times, millions of lives have been saved because of the rapid deployment of effective vaccines against COVID-19. And yet, it has been 37 years since HIV was discovered as the cause of AIDS, and there is no vaccine.

Here I will describe the difficulties facing the development of an effective vaccine against HIV/AIDS.

I am a professor of pathology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. My laboratory is credited with the discovery of the monkey virus called SIV, or simian immunodeficiency virus.

SIV is the close monkey relative of the virus that causes AIDS in humans – HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus. My research has contributed importantly to the understanding of the mechanisms by which HIV causes disease and to vaccine development efforts.

HIV vaccine development efforts have come up short

Vaccines have unquestionably been society’s most potent weapon against viral diseases of medical importance. When the new disease AIDS burst onto the scene in the early 1980s and the virus that caused it was discovered in 1983-84, it was only natural to think that the research community would be able to develop a vaccine for it.

At a now famous press conference in 1984 announcing HIV as the cause of AIDS, then U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Margaret Heckler predicted that a vaccine would be available in two years.

Well, it is now 37 years later and there is no vaccine. The rapidity of COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution puts the lack of an HIV vaccine in stark contrast. The problem is not a failure of the government. The problem is not lack of spending.

The difficulty lies in the HIV virus itself. In particular, this includes the remarkable HIV strain diversity and the immune evasion strategies of the virus.

So far there have been five large-scale Phase 3 vaccine efficacy trials against HIV, each at a cost of over USD 100 million. The first three of these failed quite convincingly; no protection against acquisition of HIV infection, no lowering of viral loads in those who did become infected. In fact, in the third of these trials, the STEP trial, there was a statistically significant higher frequency of infection in individuals who had been vaccinated.

The fourth trial, the controversial Thai RV144 trial, initially reported a marginal degree of successful protection against the acquisition of HIV infection among vaccinated individuals. However, a subsequent statistical analysis reported that there was less than a 78% chance that the protection against acquisition was real.

A fifth vaccine trial, the HVTN 702 trial, was ordered to confirm and extend the results of the RV144 trial. The HVTN702 trial was halted early because of futility. No protection against the acquisition. No lowering of viral load. Ouch.

The complexity of HIV

What is the problem? The biological properties that HIV has evolved make the development of a successful vaccine very, very difficult. What are those properties?

First and foremost is the continuous unrelenting virus replication. Once HIV gets its foot in the door, it’s “gotcha.” Many vaccines do not protect absolutely against the acquisition of an infection, but they are able to severely limit the replication of the virus and any illness that might result. For a vaccine to be effective against HIV, it will likely need to provide an absolute sterilizing barrier and not just limit viral replication.

HIV has evolved an ability to generate and tolerate many mutations in its genetic information.

The consequence of this is an enormous amount of variation among strains of the virus not only from one individual to another but even within a single individual. Let’s use influenza for a comparison.

Everyone knows that people need to get revaccinated against the influenza virus each season because of season-to-season variability in the influenza strain that is circulating. Well, the variability of HIV within a single infected individual exceeds the entire worldwide sequence variability in the influenza virus during an entire season.

What are we going to put into a vaccine to cover this extent of strain variability?

HIV has also evolved an incredible ability to shield itself from recognition by antibodies. Enveloped viruses such as coronaviruses and herpes viruses encode a structure on their surface that each virus uses to gain entry into a cell.

This structure is called a “glycoprotein,” meaning that it is composed of both sugars and protein. But the HIV envelope glycoprotein is extreme. It is the most heavily sugared protein of all viruses in all 22 families.

More than half the weight is sugar. And the virus has figured out a way, meaning the virus has evolved by natural selection, to use these sugars as shields to protect itself from recognition by antibodies that the infected host is trying to make. The host cell adds these sugars and then views them as self.

These properties have important consequences relevant to vaccine development efforts. The antibodies that an HIV-infected person makes typically have only very weak neutralizing activity against the virus.

Furthermore, these antibodies are very strain-specific; they will neutralize the strain with which the individual is infected but not the thousands and thousands of other strains circulating in the population. Researchers know how to elicit antibodies that will neutralize one strain, but not antibodies with an ability to protect against the thousands and thousands of strains circulating in the population.

That’s a major problem for vaccine development efforts.

HIV is continually evolving within a single infected individual to stay one step ahead of the immune responses. The host elicits a particular immune response that attacks the virus. This puts selective pressure on the virus, and through natural selection, a mutated virus variant appears that is no longer recognized by the individual’s immune system. The result is continuous unrelenting viral replication.

So, should we researchers give up? No, we shouldn’t. One approach researchers are trying in animal models in a couple of laboratories is to use herpes viruses as vectors to deliver the AIDS virus proteins.

The herpes virus family is of the “persistent” category. Once infected with a herpes virus, you are infected for life. And immune responses persist not just as a memory but in a continually active fashion. The success of this approach, however, will still depend on figuring out how to elicit the breadth of immune responses that will allow coverage against the vast complexity of HIV sequences circulating in the population.

Another approach is to go after protective immunity from a different angle. Although the vast majority of HIV-infected individuals make antibodies with weak, strain-specific neutralizing activity, some rare individuals do make antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against a broad range of HIV isolates. These antibodies are rare and highly unusual, but we scientists do have them in our possession.

Also, scientists have recently figured out a way to achieve protective levels of these antibodies for life from a single administration. For life! This delivery depends on a viral vector, a vector called an adeno-associated virus. When the vector is administered to muscle, muscle cells become factories that continuously produce the potent broadly neutralizing antibodies. Researchers have recently documented continuous production for six and a half years in a monkey.

We are making progress. We must not give up.&nbsp;

By Ronald C Desrosiers Smallpox has been eradicated from the face of the Earth following a highly effective, worldwide vaccination campaign. Paralytic poliomyelitis is no longer a problem in the US because of the development and use of effective vaccines against the poliovirus.

By Ronald C Desrosiers Smallpox has been eradicated from the face of the Earth following a highly effective, worldwide vaccination campaign. Paralytic poliomyelitis is no longer a problem in the US because of the development and use of effective vaccines against the poliovirus. In current times, millions of lives have been saved because of the rapid deployment of effective vaccines against COVID-19. And yet, it has been 37 years since HIV was discovered as the cause of AIDS, and there is no vaccine. Here I will describe the difficulties facing the development of an effective vaccine against HIV/AIDS. I am a professor of pathology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. My laboratory is credited with the discovery of the monkey virus called SIV, or simian immunodeficiency virus. SIV is the close monkey relative of the virus that causes AIDS in humans – HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus. My research has contributed importantly to the understanding of the mechanisms by which HIV causes disease and to vaccine development efforts. HIV vaccine development efforts have come up short Vaccines have unquestionably been society’s most potent weapon against viral diseases of medical importance. When the new disease AIDS burst onto the scene in the early 1980s and the virus that caused it was discovered in 1983-84, it was only natural to think that the research community would be able to develop a vaccine for it. At a now famous press conference in 1984 announcing HIV as the cause of AIDS, then U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Margaret Heckler predicted that a vaccine would be available in two years. Well, it is now 37 years later and there is no vaccine. The rapidity of COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution puts the lack of an HIV vaccine in stark contrast. The problem is not a failure of the government. The problem is not lack of spending. The difficulty lies in the HIV virus itself. In particular, this includes the remarkable HIV strain diversity and the immune evasion strategies of the virus. So far there have been five large-scale Phase 3 vaccine efficacy trials against HIV, each at a cost of over USD 100 million. The first three of these failed quite convincingly; no protection against acquisition of HIV infection, no lowering of viral loads in those who did become infected. In fact, in the third of these trials, the STEP trial, there was a statistically significant higher frequency of infection in individuals who had been vaccinated. The fourth trial, the controversial Thai RV144 trial, initially reported a marginal degree of successful protection against the acquisition of HIV infection among vaccinated individuals. However, a subsequent statistical analysis reported that there was less than a 78% chance that the protection against acquisition was real. A fifth vaccine trial, the HVTN 702 trial, was ordered to confirm and extend the results of the RV144 trial. The HVTN702 trial was halted early because of futility. No protection against the acquisition. No lowering of viral load. Ouch. The complexity of HIV What is the problem? The biological properties that HIV has evolved make the development of a successful vaccine very, very difficult. What are those properties? First and foremost is the continuous unrelenting virus replication. Once HIV gets its foot in the door, it’s “gotcha.” Many vaccines do not protect absolutely against the acquisition of an infection, but they are able to severely limit the replication of the virus and any illness that might result. For a vaccine to be effective against HIV, it will likely need to provide an absolute sterilizing barrier and not just limit viral replication. HIV has evolved an ability to generate and tolerate many mutations in its genetic information. The consequence of this is an enormous amount of variation among strains of the virus not only from one individual to another but even within a single individual. Let’s use influenza for a comparison. Everyone knows that people need to get revaccinated against the influenza virus each season because of season-to-season variability in the influenza strain that is circulating. Well, the variability of HIV within a single infected individual exceeds the entire worldwide sequence variability in the influenza virus during an entire season. What are we going to put into a vaccine to cover this extent of strain variability? HIV has also evolved an incredible ability to shield itself from recognition by antibodies. Enveloped viruses such as coronaviruses and herpes viruses encode a structure on their surface that each virus uses to gain entry into a cell. This structure is called a “glycoprotein,” meaning that it is composed of both sugars and protein. But the HIV envelope glycoprotein is extreme. It is the most heavily sugared protein of all viruses in all 22 families. More than half the weight is sugar. And the virus has figured out a way, meaning the virus has evolved by natural selection, to use these sugars as shields to protect itself from recognition by antibodies that the infected host is trying to make. The host cell adds these sugars and then views them as self. These properties have important consequences relevant to vaccine development efforts. The antibodies that an HIV-infected person makes typically have only very weak neutralizing activity against the virus. Furthermore, these antibodies are very strain-specific; they will neutralize the strain with which the individual is infected but not the thousands and thousands of other strains circulating in the population. Researchers know how to elicit antibodies that will neutralize one strain, but not antibodies with an ability to protect against the thousands and thousands of strains circulating in the population. That’s a major problem for vaccine development efforts. HIV is continually evolving within a single infected individual to stay one step ahead of the immune responses. The host elicits a particular immune response that attacks the virus. This puts selective pressure on the virus, and through natural selection, a mutated virus variant appears that is no longer recognized by the individual’s immune system. The result is continuous unrelenting viral replication. So, should we researchers give up? No, we shouldn’t. One approach researchers are trying in animal models in a couple of laboratories is to use herpes viruses as vectors to deliver the AIDS virus proteins. The herpes virus family is of the “persistent” category. Once infected with a herpes virus, you are infected for life. And immune responses persist not just as a memory but in a continually active fashion. The success of this approach, however, will still depend on figuring out how to elicit the breadth of immune responses that will allow coverage against the vast complexity of HIV sequences circulating in the population. Another approach is to go after protective immunity from a different angle. Although the vast majority of HIV-infected individuals make antibodies with weak, strain-specific neutralizing activity, some rare individuals do make antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against a broad range of HIV isolates. These antibodies are rare and highly unusual, but we scientists do have them in our possession. Also, scientists have recently figured out a way to achieve protective levels of these antibodies for life from a single administration. For life! This delivery depends on a viral vector, a vector called an adeno-associated virus. When the vector is administered to muscle, muscle cells become factories that continuously produce the potent broadly neutralizing antibodies. Researchers have recently documented continuous production for six and a half years in a monkey. We are making progress. We must not give up.

HIV/AIDS vaccine: Why don’t we have one after 37 years, when we have several for COVID-19 after a few months?

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