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Child Thought To Be Cured of HIV Relapses, Tests Positive Again

Posted by Soulskill on from the poor-kid dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The Mississippi child, who was born with HIV passed from her mother, received HIV treatment for 18 months after her birth. In the course of over two years after the treatment, her blood indicated no trace of the virus or of HIV-specific antibodies, leading many to hope that she may have been cured completely. Earlier this month, however, the virus was detected again. Nearly 4 years old, the child is once more being given HIV treatment, and scientists are trying to figure out how she could have gone so long before relapsing.

6 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I hate to imagine it by Major+Blud · · Score: 5, Informative

    When I first read about this on CNN the other day, the article stated that the child's mother had stopped giving her the anti-viral medication she was prescribed. There was no an explanation as to why.

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  2. Re:I hate to imagine it by Major+Blud · · Score: 4, Informative

    Found the article:

    http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/10/...

    "The child remained on antiretroviral drugs for approximately 18 months. Her mother then stopped administering the drugs for an unknown reason".

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  3. Re:I hate to imagine it by barlevg · · Score: 5, Informative
    The Washington Post story states:

    Researchers confirmed through DNA sequencing that the infection in the child is not a new infection, but was the one passed from the mother.

  4. Re:I hate to imagine it by mwvdlee · · Score: 3, Informative

    GP implies stopping the drugs was the direct cause for the relapse.
    The CNN article states the child was initially "functionally cured" a few months after stopping the drugs.
    The facts us readers know, indicate neither correlation nor causation between stopping drugs and the relapse.

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  5. Re:I hate to imagine it by i+kan+reed · · Score: 4, Informative

    Because HIV has numerous properties that allow it to remain dormant in a host for a long time.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV#Replication_cycle

  6. Re:I hate to imagine it by IMightB · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, if you RTFA, it goes:

    1) Baby has HIV, given retrovirals.
    2) Mother brings in baby for regular checkups/tratments for 18 months
    3) Mother and Baby "dissappear" for a few months
    4) When baby is brought back in, it tests negative for HIV
    5) For about 2 years the baby tests HIV free
    6) Baby tests HIV positive again at ~4.5 years of age.
    7) We suffer from your misinformed post.