Baby born with HIV apparently cured

[Hum]

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A baby born with the AIDS virus appears to have been cured, scientists announced Sunday, describing the case of a child from Mississippi who's now 2½ and has been off medication for about a year with no signs of infection.

There's no guarantee the child will remain healthy, although sophisticated testing uncovered just traces of the virus' genetic material still lingering. If so, it would mark only the world's second reported cure.

Specialists say Sunday's announcement, at a major AIDS meeting in Atlanta, offers promising clues for efforts to eliminate HIV infection in children, especially in AIDS-plagued African countries where too many babies are born with the virus.

"You could call this about as close to a cure, if not a cure, that we've seen," Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, who is familiar with the findings, told The Associated Press.

A doctor gave this baby faster and stronger treatment than is usual, starting a three-drug infusion within 30 hours of birth. That was before tests confirmed the infant was infected and not just at risk from a mother whose HIV wasn't diagnosed until she was in labor.

"I just felt like this baby was at higher-than-normal risk, and deserved our best shot," Dr. Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi, said in an interview.

That fast action apparently knocked out HIV in the baby's blood before it could form hideouts in the body. Those so-called reservoirs of dormant cells usually rapidly reinfect anyone who stops medication, said Dr. Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins Children's Center. She led the investigation that deemed the child "functionally cured," meaning in long-term remission even if all traces of the virus haven't been completely eradicated.

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[Growled Member]

That's just awesome news and gives hopes to millions.

[neoadorable]

if we can now cure AIDS please let me know, i will go drinking for like three days straight to celebrate the wonder of human science

[ANON86364]

I can't overstate how wonderful this would be, however I do worry about the population boom that will occur when Africa is cured of HIV. They need more than a cure to HIV to be sustainable.

[Hum]

if we can now cure AIDS please let me know, i will go drinking for like three days straight to celebrate the wonder of human science

Any 'disease' can be healed. ;)

[Torolol]

before it could form hideouts in the body

if the virus managed to form this 'hideouts' there will be no cure then?

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

While I'm happy for the kid I'm a bit pessimistic, let's see in 4-5 years if it stays like that. If it does good, if not then well they just pushed the inevitable.

[Soldiers33]

not saying its the childs fault, but adults should know better to not sleep around. Dont catch it and you wont have it.