http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051113...UFDbeKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ- http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article326894.ece The man was tested positive for HIV and 14 months later he no longer has it!! They say DNA tests prove the 2 samples are from the same guy.
Um if you didn't know science this story would be shocking. Othewise it is just rehashing old information. HIV can remain dorment in individuals for years in which case there is no detecable trace of it, but the virus still exists in tiny quantities. This usually happens after treatment, but often there is a replase down the road. Second, some people have developed immunity to it and fail to get full blown AIDS. And scientists already know that some people have a genetic immunity to Aids stemming from the Black Death in the 1400's. Not a big story at all.
Actually it is a big story because the people that are immune to it never contract the virus. Same with the dormancy... if it it comes out of dormancy, it doesn't go back to being dormant. This guy had it, then it was gone. The fact he is immune to HIV or it's now dormant isn't the big news. The big news is it was in his system (detectable) and now it's not.
AIDS/HIV doesn't go into remission. Once it's not dormant it doesn't go back. That's why this is big news.
If he was cleared in 2003 why is the news just coming out now. The guy was thinking of sueing the NHS because of it and now he isnt, something about the story doesnt add up....
I have heard some people that their HIV just disappeard(?). The doctors didn't know why... Maybe some aliens?
HIV tests are sometimes inconsistant. I've heard women who become pregnant will sometimes test positive, but after birth become negative again. This isn't uncommon, and is associated with some agressive anti-bodies in a woman during pregnancy. As for actually 'beating' the HIV, there has been years of research on why some groups of people, can be constantly exposed to the virus but never have HIV present in their bodies. There was recently a documentry on tv about how they are following one family that seem to be resistant. They found unique 'genes' in their make up. later, tom <crossing fingers>
Exactly, TommyD. False positives are not that uncommon in HIV tests. If he was a false positive then he hasn't really "recovered" as he never had HIV in the first place. But, hey, he's milking his 15 minutes and not going back for any further testing even on the pleas that it could really help "other" victims of HIV.
I think they have to confirm that the initial test results were accurate but if they turn out to have been, then it is a helluva breakthrough in HIV and AIDS research! A world first! The guy was really pissed off because he had been found to have been clear of HIV a year before anyone thought to tell him about it. He isn't refusing to help with with tests for research, only that any such tests are carried out anywhere apart from at the HIV / AIDS specialist treatment center that didn't bother telling him he had somehow cleared the virus from his system.
Gotta rule out false positives first. I assume since he tested positive, that the test is run again to be sure. Not quite sure on the procedure for such things. Didn;t Magic johnson have HIV and it went away too? He's free of it now, too, right?
Heh, I just wanted to ask about "Magic" Magic Johnson. I think he never even had HIV. Just payed, as a bigest black star, to be in front of anti HIV propaganda?
Anybody see the documentary a week or 2 ago re: health that was narrated by Brad Pitt maybe. There is a group of Nigerian sex workers that are HIV free. Basically immune. The documentary put forth the idea that they could very well be the answer...
I guess when those nigerians call me up and want to order 400 blood pressure monitors or something, I should really oblige them then