New HIV strand could 'develop faster into AIDs' than current strands

A new strain of HIV has been discovered that could develop faster into the AIDS virus than any of the strains that are currently commonly treated. Research from Lund University in Sweden has revealed that a cross of two HIV viruses could turn into AIDS much faster than a single strain does.

The shortest known timeframe in which HIV can turn into AIDs, according to the researchers, is as little as five years. However a newly discovered recombinant HIV virus - a virus that is formed by the crossing of two viruses that meet within a person's system - could cause the progression into AIDS to be much faster.

The newly discovered strain of the disease has been found to be a cross between 02AG and A3 HIV strains. These strains are the most common types of the virus found in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. So far the recombinant strain - called A3/02 - has only been detected within this area of the world.

In total, there are more than 60 different strains of the HIV-1 virus globally, but certain regions of the world tend to experience only one or two of the strains in large numbers. However, the researchers - whose study was published in the 'Journal of Infectious Diseases' - have revealed that recombinant strains of HIV are becoming more common throughout the world.

While the recently discovered A3/02 strain has only been detected in the specific region of Africa, other research has found that different types of recombinant viruses are becoming more common and are spreading rapidly. Certain areas of the globe that see high levels of immigration are experiencing a mixing of different strains of the HIV virus, adding extra challenges to the already difficult treatment of the disease.

Patrik Medstrand, senior author on the study and professor of Clinical Virology at Lund University, said: "HIV is an extremely dynamic and variable virus. New subtypes and recombinant forms of HIV-1 have been introduced to our part of the world, and it is highly likely that there are a large number of circulating recombinants of which we know little or nothing. We therefore need to be aware of how the HIV-1 epidemic changes over time."