HIV Evolving ‘Into Milder Form’ – Report Says
Originally published on bbc.com
HIV is evolving to become less deadly and less infectious, according to a major scientific study.
The team at the University of Oxford shows the virus is being “watered down” as it adapts to our immune systems. It said it was taking longer for HIV infection to cause Aids and that the changes in the virus may help efforts to contain the pandemic.
Some virologists suggest the virus may eventually become “almost harmless” as it continues to evolve.
More than 35 million people around the world are infected with HIV, and inside their bodies a devastating battle takes place between the immune system and the virus.
HIV is a master of disguise. It rapidly and effortlessly mutates to evade and adapt to the immune system.
However, every so often HIV infects someone with a particularly effective immune system.
“[Then] the virus is trapped between a rock and hard place, it can get flattened or make a change to survive and if it has to change then it will come with a cost,” said Prof Philip Goulder, from the University of Oxford.
Weakened
The “cost” is a reduced ability to replicate, which in turn makes the virus less infectious and means it takes longer to cause AIDS.
This weakened virus is then spread to other people and a slow cycle of “watering-down” HIV begins.
The team showed this process happening in Africa by comparing Botswana, which has had an HIV problem for a long time, and South Africa where HIV arrived a decade later.
Prof Goulder told the BBC News website: “It is quite striking. You can see the ability to replicate is 10% lower in Botswana than South Africa and that’s quite exciting.
“We are observing evolution happening in front of us and it is surprising how quickly the process is happening. The virus is slowing down in its ability to cause disease and that will help contribute to elimination.”
Drug bonus
The findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences also suggested anti-retroviral drugs were forcing HIV to evolve into milder forms. It showed the drugs would primarily target the nastiest versions of HIV and encourage the milder ones to thrive.
Prof Goulder added: “Twenty years ago, the time to AIDS was 10 years, but in the last 10 years in Botswana that might have increased to 12.5 years, a sort of incremental change, but in the big picture that is a rapid change.
“One might imagine as time extends this could stretch further and further and in the future people being asymptomatic for decades.”
The group did caution that even a watered-down version of HIV was still dangerous and could cause AIDS.
HIV originally came from apes or monkeys, in which it is frequently a minor infection.
Prof Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, told the BBC: “If the trend continues then we might see the global picture change – a longer disease causing much less transmission.
“In theory, if we were to let HIV run its course, then we would see a human population emerge that was more resistant to the virus than we collectively are today – HIV infection would eventually become almost harmless.
“Such events have probably happened throughout history, but we are talking very large timescales.”
Prof Andrew Freedman, a reader in infectious diseases at Cardiff University, said this was an “intriguing study”. He said: “By comparing the epidemic in Botswana with that which occurred somewhat later in South Africa, the researchers were able to demonstrate that the effect of this evolution is for the virus to become less virulent, or weaker, over time.
“The widespread use of antiretroviral therapy may also have a similar effect and together, these effects may contribute to the ultimate control of the HIV epidemic.”
But he cautioned HIV was “an awfully long way” from becoming harmless and “other events will supersede that including wider access to treatment and eventually the development of a cure”.
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20 Comments
Kryss S
December 02, 05:49Watered down or up, the truth still remains d truth!
pinkpanthertb
December 02, 06:34And that truth is?
Dennis Macauley
December 02, 05:49I look forward to when HIV shall be something you get a prescription for, head to a pharmacy and buy something that takes care of it!
A very close friend of mine just tested +ve recently and the whirlwind of emotions he is going through is crazy!
I thought I was being a good friend, always asking about how he was and all until he told me recently that his health is not all we should discuss when we are together.
It hit home, I no longer bring it up. Stigmatization can also come from people who love you and mean well and think you have suddenly become too fragile to do anything.
tinocompadre
December 02, 06:13Sure the best way to treat HIV +ve person is by not being sympathetic about it cos it builds up emotions and fear. Like you said, soon HIV will be like every over d counter infections.
pinkpanthertb
December 02, 06:39Amen.
enigmous
December 02, 07:26Oh Dennis, are you not just precious?
And that thing you said about stigmatization coming from people who love you and mean well for you, it is 100% true.
I never saw it that way until my positive friend made a comment: ” I think you enjoy asking about my health when there are other things to discuss, it’s your subtle way of stigmatizing”
Was I shocked?
chestnut
December 02, 07:56It’s just like reverse-racism, where a white person keeps only black friends and keeps singing praises of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and Rosa Parks…or where a white person says Lupita Nyongo is the MOST beautiful woman in the whole wide WORLD. We get that u’re open-minded and colour-blind,but,like, don’t over-do it or else u just come off looking fake and corny!
FKA Chizzie
December 02, 07:03HIV originally came from apes and monkeys? who are these white folks kidding? primates have coexisted for centuries with our fore fathers and they never had issues w HIV,ebola and the likes; only during the advent of modern microbiology techniques in the 70s did we suddenly begin to hear of such. but that’s a conspiracy for another day.
Hopefully give or take another 20-40 yrs and HIV will be history!
Brian Collins
December 02, 07:34This conspiracy theory Ehn…. Too much Resident Evil?
gad
December 02, 09:08Our forefathers didn’t experiment with having sex with apes and monkeys. We are even going further, apart from fucking dogs, people are now fucking snakes. I was shocked when I saw the video. I wonder the new sickness they will bring to us b4 long.
pinkpanthertb
December 02, 09:12People fucking snakes?! *horrified* How on earth does that even work?
FKA Chizzie
December 02, 10:01what does having sex w animals have anything to do w HIV? according to science HIV came to be thru consumption of primate meat. Not sex w them.
Legalkoboko
December 02, 10:09gad, you may want to check out this link
http://www.medicaldaily.com/where-did-hiv-start-virus-originated-democratic-republic-congo-90-years-ago-oxford-study-306068
all the talk about HIV springing up after hot sex sessions with primates is just a way of injecting religious morality into the equation without proper scientific backing.
Ace
December 02, 13:08I fucking saw that video too. I screamed like hell! Not only do i hate snakes but the thought of putting my dick in it? JESUS!
Max
December 02, 08:38Waiting for the day that’ll happen.. Its every barebacker’s dream… I wasn’t talking abt me BTW…
Dennis Macauley
December 02, 08:45Max Lol!
I see what you did there!!!
Max
December 02, 11:13Hahahahahaha…
Legalkoboko
December 02, 10:13I look forward to a cure for this HIV scourge. At least it will give me a particularly great delight to watch while the rug gets pulled off from under the feet of some religious bigots.
pinkpanthertb
December 02, 10:26Lmao your sadism is delicious, Legal
Legalkoboko
December 02, 10:35are you telling me!