New strain of HIV discovered; local expert says don't panic

BOSTON — There have been no headlines for years, but suddenly HIV is back as researchers at Abbott Laboratories announce they have uncovered a new strain of the virus.

"There's a lot of diversity in HIV and that's why there are so many strains,"  said Dr. Paul Sax, Brigham & Women's Hospital.

The new strain is the first identified in almost 20 years. Its origin is sub-Saharan Africa and was found in samples 20 to more than 30 years old that had been stored in a diagnostic lab.

"This finding does not in any way change how we diagnose or treat HIV," said Sax.

Sax, an infectious disease specialist at Brigham & Women's in Boston, says the new strain does not represent a new public health threat.

"This new strain is actually very uncommon and should be responsive to our current therapies," said Sax.

He says the primary importance of the findings is in the diagnosis of HIV infections and there's no reason to believe current tests won't pick up the new strain.

"Some parts of HIV from strain to strain are relatively similar and those are the parts that our test targets," he said.

Sax says the larger problem is that many with HIV aren't getting diagnosed. Of the 1.1 million living with the virus in the U.S., the government estimates about 15% of them don't know they have it.

"You can go five, ten, fifteen years after acquiring the virus before developing any symptoms that you're sick at all," said Sax.

With no symptoms, the undiagnosed can spread the virus to others. In part, that's why an estimated 39,000 Americans per year acquire HIV.

"Right now we estimate that the life span of someone with HIV who goes on effective therapy would be comparable to someone without HIV. Which is really an extraordinary advance," said Sax.

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