NationStates Jolt Archive

apparantely one man has managed to shake off the HIV virus 14 months after diagnosis

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L13322959.htm


A spokeswoman for Chelsea and Westminster Heathcare Trust in London confirmed that one of its patients had tested negative for HIV about 14 months after testing positive in May 2002.

"He did test positive and then later negative"

Aye, it's true; it's been all over the papers. He's a fellow Scot called Mr. Stimpson or something. It's fantastic news, anyway.

No, this does not mean HIV is curable, at least not for a very long while. It means this person is very fortunate (unless he was a false positive.)

No, this does not mean HIV is curable, at least not for a very long while. It means this person is very fortunate (unless he was a false positive.)


but it could result in it being curable in the future

all about looking forward

No, this does not mean HIV is curable, at least not for a very long while. It means this person is very fortunate (unless he was a false positive.)

This can't be ruled out but if it wasn't a false positive then someone needs to see why he managed to be cured of it.

I meant that it was true that someone had shaken it off.

I meant that it was true that someone had shaken it off.
They don't know yet, because he won't let them run more tests to confirm it.

They have confirmed it, as says all the newspapers here.

Perhaps he belongs to the lucky ten percent of all europeans, who carry the CCR5 delta-32 mutation (http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/15110_hiv.html).

They have confirmed it, as says all the newspapers here.
The BBC says otherwise. "A statement from the trust said: "This is a rare and complex case. When we became aware of Mr Stimpson's HIV negative test results we offered him further tests to help us investigate and find an explanation for the different results. So far Mr Stimpson has declined this offer."

HIV is getting weaker like all diseases is what my nurse sister told me.:)

HIV is getting weaker like all diseases is what my nurse sister told me.:)

im getting different stories from my Doctor sister, who specialises in viral diseases

HIV is getting weaker like all diseases is what my nurse sister told me.:)
I hate to tell you but diseases don't get weaker - they get stronger. They all develop resistances to our medicines and mutate to become more deadly.

I hate to tell you but diseases don't get weaker - they get stronger. They all develop resistances to our medicines and mutate to become more deadly.
Not exactly. Some diseases to get weaker as they evolve, a good example of this is syphilis. When it first came to europe, it would literally kill you in a week and cause your skin to slaugh off. Not pretty. Of course, killing you in a week is a bit pointless from an evolutionary standpoint, because then the virus wouldn't spread...so it became the long term disease that we have today.

The wonderful (from an evolutionary standpoint) thing about AIDS is you can have it for years, be spreading it, and have NO OUTWARD SYMPTOMS. It's a perfect example of evolution in action.

I hate to tell you but diseases don't get weaker - they get stronger. They all develop resistances to our medicines and mutate to become more deadly.
like SARS or spanish flu?
It's not a certainty but it could be right.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4290300.stm

Perhaps he belongs to the lucky ten percent of all europeans, who carry the CCR5 delta-32 mutation (http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/15110_hiv.html).
Thanks for the linkie, I'd heard about the possibility of some people being genetically predisposed to overcoming the HIV virus, but it was on tv so it was difficult to tell to what degree it was sensationalised and impossible to recheck that my interpretation of the information being conveyed was accurate and properly remembered (it was quite some time ago that the programe was broadcast).

apparantely one man has managed to shake off the HIV virus 14 months after diagnosis

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L13322959.htm


A spokeswoman for Chelsea and Westminster Heathcare Trust in London confirmed that one of its patients had tested negative for HIV about 14 months after testing positive in May 2002.

"He did test positive and then later negative"

Great news and I hope it is true. Perhaps this will give the researchers the clue they need to develope a cure.

Yes there is a cure/Immunity to HIV...its also the cure for bubonic plague..its the delta 32 gene.. If a person has a single pair of the gene then they can fight off the virus fairly well. If they have the double, then they are immune to it. Check it out on google

LOL Damn you!

its kind of strange that a mutation would be able to guard both a virus(hiv)and a bacteria(buboic plage)

Yes there is a cure/Immunity to HIV...its also the cure for bubonic plague..its the delta 32 gene.. If a person has a single pair of the gene then they can fight off the virus fairly well. If they have the double, then they are immune to it. Check it out on google

Yes but IIRC, those with a double pair will never test positive as the virus can never get a hold on them at all, this guy did test positive, the virus was breeding in his system.

And those with a single pair, will never shake it off entirely, they just take longer to die.

This guy is something entirely new surely. All I can think of is that his immune system has made freaking anti-AIDS antibodies and that they're now floating around in his blood.

And he won't submit to further tests, which could potentially save MILLIONS of lives.

What a bastard.

apparantely one man has managed to shake off the HIV virus 14 months after diagnosis

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L13322959.htm


A spokeswoman for Chelsea and Westminster Heathcare Trust in London confirmed that one of its patients had tested negative for HIV about 14 months after testing positive in May 2002.

"He did test positive and then later negative"

Its evolution, there exist a minority of people in the world who just do not get sick from HIV or are capable of fighting off the virus, and do to HIV being fatal to reproduction they are increasing in numbers.

Not exactly. Some diseases to get weaker as they evolve, a good example of this is syphilis. When it first came to europe, it would literally kill you in a week and cause your skin to slaugh off. Not pretty. Of course, killing you in a week is a bit pointless from an evolutionary standpoint, because then the virus wouldn't spread...so it became the long term disease that we have today.

The wonderful (from an evolutionary standpoint) thing about AIDS is you can have it for years, be spreading it, and have NO OUTWARD SYMPTOMS. It's a perfect example of evolution in action.

Agreed, over generations (hundreds of years) viruses evolve towards been non fatal. Killing you host is not the best way to survive. That’s different to evolving resistance to drugs, which also gives viruses a better chance of survival but in the short term makes them more dangerous as they can’t be treated as effectively.

As for the man being cured this is not the case. He received no treatment for his condition, he recovered on his own. The authorities are confident it wasn’t a mis diagonal so, going out on a limb here, he might have a similar immunity found in the African women researchers found a few years ago. Prostitutes working in highly infected regions for many years with no protection. Under these conditions they were expected to be infected but were found to be clean. They are the centre of some attempts to create a vaccine for the virus. The sad thing is the western world is most likely to benefit from this way before the poorer and much more badly affected African continent.

Its evolution, there exist a minority of people in the world who just do not get sick from HIV or are capable of fighting off the virus, and do to HIV being fatal to reproduction they are increasing in numbers.

There hasn't been a long enough time period for natural selection to be taking place on a macro scale... this is also not an example of evolution in action, to see that we would need to see the genetic immunity suddenly appear, wheras this immunity has been documented to have existed for many hundreds of years.

But this scottish dude may be totally different, here's hoping.