Quote:
Originally Posted by RaggaeSoul
Is the virus mutating aggresively?
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The HIV virus is constantly mutating. The various subtypes also combine to form new CRFs (Circulating Recombinant Forms). This is one of the reasons it is so difficult to develop a vaccine to HIV.
However, it is not true that these new forms cannot be detected by current tests. As far as we know, our tests still can detect these infections.
Honestly, if a person is infected with HIV, it makes precious little difference to him/her what strain it is. It is still a lifelong infection and it still can be controlled with the current meds we have.
More aggressive forms are actually BETTER for public health. Because people progress to symptomatic AIDS quicker, it also means there is less time for them to pass HIV to someone else. Imagine if HIV kills a person within 1 day. The epidemic would be hardly as bad. Morbid but true.