Drug resistant strain of hiv beats antiviral drugs

A leading researcher claims the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is fighting back against antiviral drugs with the emergence of new drug resistant strains.

Two years after the introduction of the drug zidovudine (Retrovir), strains of the virus which are 100 times less susceptible to the drug have been detected in samples, says Dr Douglas Mayers from the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

Transmission of the drug resistant virus is occurring via sexual contact, intravenous drug use, at birth, and accidental exposure of healthcare workers to infected blood, he says (JAMA, 1998; 279: 2000-2).

Related WDDTY Content

Hiv: strain resistant to azt

The use of zidovudine (AZT) to combat AIDS and HIV may be causing mutations of the HIV virus which are resistant to the drug. ...

Hiv virus: missing link

American researchers are claiming that at least one strain of the HIV virus which is thought to cause AIDS originated in some species of African monke...

News

* An increasing number of people newly infected with HIV have strains of the virus which are drug-resistant (JAMA, 1999; 282: 1135-41, 1142-9, 1177-9)...

Organ transplant patients risk drug resistant virus

Analysis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease among 240 liver, kidney and pancreas recipients has shown that the incidence of CMV is higher than previousl...

The drugs don't work: - Resistance isn't such bad news

The consequence of over-prescribing is a resistance to drugs. It has already happened to antibiotics, and now the same thing is being seen with the a...

Contact dermatitis

Q I would like your advice for the son of a friend of mine. James, 22, had eczema as a child. His passion in life is motorcycles and, thus, he comes i...