Tina Smith: “I discuss a rare strain of HIV that is highly resistant to most antiretroviral drugs and causes a rapid onset of AIDS…”

“I discuss a rare strain of HIV that is highly resistant to most antiretroviral drugs and causes a rapid onset of AIDS that was recently discovered in a patient in New York City. The strain, identified as 3-DCR HIV, is resistant to 3 of the 4 classes of antiretroviral drugs, which means that 19 of the 20 available antiretroviral drug combinations would be ineffective for a person with this HIV strain. Although drug-resistant HIV strains are common in patients who have been treated with antiretroviral drugs, multiple-drug-resistant HIV is extremely rare in patients who are newly diagnosed and previously untreated. Moreover, while HIV infection usually takes about 10 years to progress to AIDS, this patient apparently progressed to AIDS in a matter of months. Combination of a highly drug resistant HIV infection and rapid disease progression has the potential to become a very serious public health problem with global health implications. The ultimate significance of the new strain is still unknown. Only time will tell whether this was an isolated case or part of an outbreak of similar cases. It is imperative, however, that we take action to identify and halt the spread of aggressive, multiresistant HIV/AIDS strains. We must continue to build upon and fund existing prevention programs and to strengthen our infectious disease monitoring systems.”