New, aggressive form of HIV identified in Cuba

Atasteofcreole's Blog

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289477.php

In Cuba, a variant of HIV that is much more aggressive than other known forms of the virus has been documented. Patients infected with this new variant progress to AIDS so rapidly that they may not even know they are infected, with AIDS symptoms occurring within 3 years of infection.

HIV anchors itself to proteins on the membranes of cells before it is able to penetrate the cell.

If a person contracts multiple strains of HIV – typically by engaging in unprotected sex with multiple infected partners – then these strains can recombine into a new variant of HIV within the host. The new Cuban variant of HIV is one such recombinant version of the virus.

HIV anchors itself to co-receptors – proteins on the membranes of cells – before the virus is able to penetrate the cell. The first co-receptor that HIV anchors to is known…

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