Reinfection can occur in people with HIV
There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Both types are transmitted by sexual contact, through blood, from mother to child and they appear to cause clinically indistinguishable AIDS.
Benjamin Bakudaala
There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Both types are transmitted by sexual contact, through blood, from mother to child and they appear to cause clinically indistinguishable AIDS.
However, it seems that HIV-2 is less easily transmitted, and the period between initial infection and illness is longer in the case of HIV-2. In this opinion I want to highlight the aspects of reinfection and superinfection which has been reported in over 20 HIV-positive individuals around the world.
These cases show that infection with one strain or type of HIV does not always provide a protective immune response against the acquisition of a second strain.
Reinfection occurs when an HIV infected person gets more different HIV types in his or her immune system. Some researchers believe that certain types of HIV are stronger and inflict more damage on the immune system than others.
If partners have different treatment histories with antiretroviral medication, medication-resistant strains could be transmitted from one partner to another.
This is the information HIV infected couples and individuals are missing out on. Re-infection is also in western Africa, where people are routinely found to carry both HIV-1 and HIV-2. At the very least, this proves that having HIV-1 does not protect a person from getting HIV-2.
The first confirmed case of superinfection was reported in February 2002.
A 38-year-old Swiss man diagnosed in 1998 with HIV-1, started treatment soon after infection and quickly achieved an undetectable viral load. In January 2001, he stopped treatment and three months later, developed mild fatigue, fever and a viral load of more than 400,000.
Investigation revealed he had unprotected sex in March 2001 on a holiday to Brazil, and as a result had been infected with a different type of HIV-2.
However, even if both partners are infected, condom use should be strongly encouraged by health workers to prevent further transmission of HIV. Condom use also protects against other STIs, such as hepatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea, parasites and herpes.
The writer is a volunteer in Nkokonjeru Hospital Project Hope
There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Both types are transmitted by sexual contact, through blood, from mother to child and they appear to cause clinically indistinguishable AIDS.
However, it seems that HIV-2 is less easily transmitted, and the period between initial infection and illness is longer in the case of HIV-2. In this opinion I want to highlight the aspects of reinfection and superinfection which has been reported in over 20 HIV-positive individuals around the world.
These cases show that infection with one strain or type of HIV does not always provide a protective immune response against the acquisition of a second strain.
Reinfection occurs when an HIV infected person gets more different HIV types in his or her immune system. Some researchers believe that certain types of HIV are stronger and inflict more damage on the immune system than others.
If partners have different treatment histories with antiretroviral medication, medication-resistant strains could be transmitted from one partner to another.
This is the information HIV infected couples and individuals are missing out on. Re-infection is also in western Africa, where people are routinely found to carry both HIV-1 and HIV-2. At the very least, this proves that having HIV-1 does not protect a person from getting HIV-2.
The first confirmed case of superinfection was reported in February 2002.
A 38-year-old Swiss man diagnosed in 1998 with HIV-1, started treatment soon after infection and quickly achieved an undetectable viral load. In January 2001, he stopped treatment and three months later, developed mild fatigue, fever and a viral load of more than 400,000.
Investigation revealed he had unprotected sex in March 2001 on a holiday to Brazil, and as a result had been infected with a different type of HIV-2.
However, even if both partners are infected, condom use should be strongly encouraged by health workers to prevent further transmission of HIV. Condom use also protects against other STIs, such as hepatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea, parasites and herpes.
The writer is a volunteer in Nkokonjeru Hospital Project Hope