New strain of HIV: A new strain of HIV has been identified in a Cameroonian woman, French scientists reported in the journal Nature Medicine. The three previously known strains are related to a virus found in chimps, but the new one appears to be related to a form of simian immunodeficiency virus recently discovered in wild gorillas. The woman, who tested positive for HIV in 2004 shortly after moving to Paris from Cameroon, said she’d had no contact with apes and did not eat bush meat. So far, the woman shows no signs of AIDS and is not taking any HIV drugs. Still, the finding “highlights the continuing need to watch closely for the emergence for new HIV variants, particularly in western Central Africa,” said the researchers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.