A child with AIDS gets to eliminate the virus for the first time

2013/03/05 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Mikrobiologia

However, they have determined that the child is “functionally” cured, that is, they cannot say that he has no AIDS virus, but that the usual clinical tests cannot detect it. However, the child can lead a normal life without long-term treatment.

The child was born in 2010. Her mother had AIDS but did not receive treatment against her. As soon as the baby was born, they were given antiretrovirals. By day 29, viruses disappeared from the baby's blood and continued treatment until 18 months. Since then it has not taken antiretrovirals and researchers have confirmed that they have not detected viruses by conventional tests.

Some adult patients also have these cases, but it is not very common. So, according to the researchers, the next step will be to see if treatment has the same effect on other newborns. If this were so, it would be an important step in the fight against AIDS.

However, one of the researchers, Hanna Gay, from the University of Mississippi, has recalled that prevention is the best remedy: “We have shown that with the diagnosis and treatment of HIV in pregnant women we can avoid 98% of neonatal infections.”