A new highly contagious and more dangerous variant of the HIV virus that causes AIDS has been found in the Netherlands.
People infected with the new “VB variant” (for virulent subtype B) have been found to have higher levels of the virus in their system, their immune systems fail more quickly and they are more likely to transmit the virus to others.
The findings of the HIV Monitoring Netherlands Foundation and led by researchers from the Big Data Institute of the University of Oxford are published today in Science.
Reassuringly, people with the VB variant had comparable immune system recovery and survival after starting treatment as people with other HIV variants.
However, the researchers emphasize that because the VB variant causes a more rapid decline in immune system strength, it is critical that individuals are diagnosed early and begin treatment as soon as possible.
The VB variant is characterized by many mutations scattered throughout the genome, which means that no single genetic cause can be identified at this stage.
Lead author Dr Chris Wymant, of the Big Data Institute at the University of Oxford and the Nuffield Department of Medicine, said: “Before this study, the genetics of the HIV virus were known to be relevant to virulence, implying that the evolution of a new variant could alter the health impact. The discovery of the VB variant has demonstrated this, which is a rare example of the risk posed by the evolution of viral virulence.”
Senior author Professor Christophe Fraser of the Big Data Institute at the University of Oxford and the Nuffield Department of Medicine, added: “Our findings highlight the importance of the World Health Organization guidelines that individuals at risk of contracting HIV should have access to regular tests to allow for an early diagnosis. by immediate treatment.
“This limits the time that HIV can damage an individual’s immune system and endanger their health. It also ensures that HIV is suppressed as quickly as possible, preventing transmission to other individuals.”
The VB variant was first identified in 17 HIV-positive individuals from the BEEHIVE project, an ongoing study collecting samples from across Europe and Uganda.
Since 15 of these people were from the Netherlands, the researchers next analyzed data from a cohort of more than 6,700 HIV-positive individuals in the Netherlands.
This identified another 92 individuals with the variant, from all regions of the Netherlands, bringing the total to 109.
By analyzing the patterns of genetic variation between the samples, the researchers estimate that the VB variant first emerged in the Netherlands in the late 1980s and 1990s.
It spread faster than other HIV variants during the 2000s, but the spread has slowed since about 2010.
The research team believes that the VB variant arose despite widespread treatment in the Netherlands, not because of, because effective treatment can suppress transmission.
The individuals with the ID variant showed typical characteristics for people with HIV in the Netherlands, such as age, gender and presumed mode of transmission. This indicates that the increased transmissibility of the VB variant is due to a trait of the virus itself, not a trait of people with the virus.
The full newspaper,’ A highly virulent variant of HIV-1 circulating in the Netherlands’, can be read in the magazine Science.
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