A new strand of HIV, discovered in Cuba, raises concerns because it has the fastest rate of progression into AIDS ever observed in patients.
Photo By: Brea Jones, Photographer

By: Katherine Lachcik, Reporter

Researchers at the University of Leuven in Belgium have recently found that a new form of HIV, first detected in Cuba but believed to have originated in Africa, progresses to AIDS three times faster than the more common forms of the virus. This faster rate of transformation into AIDS can have serious health implications for those who contract the virus.

The normal time it takes for HIV to evolve into AIDS, a serious virus that attacks the immune system, is about 10 years. However, this recently discovered mutation of HIV known as CRF19 transforms into AIDS within just 3 years, the fastest rate of progression to AIDS ever observed in patients. Nearly 4o million people worldwide have died from AIDS since the 1980s, and 35 million people are infected with it today. This new virus, some experts fear, could increase the amount of people infected with AIDS.

Sophomore Brittany Howard says, “AIDS is a really serious disease, because a lot of people can’t afford the medication to prevent it from being harmful. I think this new form of HIV could definitely worsen the problem.”

Although there are medications and treatments for HIV/AIDS, the new CRF19 strand of HIV will be particularly difficult to handle. Because the virus evolves into AIDS three times faster than more prevalent forms of the virus, many people afflicted by the virus may not even realize they have it until the potent mutation has developed into AIDS and taken a toll on their body and immune system.

Junior Alicia Emerine says, “I think it’s really dangerous because if people don’t know that they have [the virus], they can spread the virus more, and they can be weakened by it before they can get treatment.”

Clinicians and doctors in Cuba are reportedly concerned about the threatening new variant of HIV, but researchers say that the virus is spreading slowly and is not a significant threat to Cuba or other areas as of yet. Despite this, infected people traveling out of Cuba could carry the virus to other areas of the world easily.

Sophomore Jordan Katz says, “I’m not sure whether [the new virus] will increase the number of people affected by AIDS, but it can definitely cause more deaths.”

About 14,000 to 18,000 people were infected with HIV in Cuba as of 2013, according to a report from the United Nations. The new strand of CRF19, due to its increased rate of progression to HIV/AIDS, may exacerbate the impact of AIDS on the country. It is still unclear as to how quickly this virus can spread, but the increased danger that comes with CRF19 is likely to cause concern among health officials, researchers, and citizens of Cuba alike.