HIV Super-infectionHIV Super-infection

Super-infection creates resistance of current antiretroviral drug treatments

and accelerated disease mortality.

BACKGROUND:BACKGROUND: Then and Now

• The former myth…

• The current reality…

• HOWEVER…

The Debate & Dilemma Is On!The Debate & Dilemma Is On!

                                      

                          

Researchers are worried that is possible to become infected with multiple HIV strains, a problem they call "super-

infection." This ScienCentral News video explains.

So what So what ISIS “super-infection”? “super-infection”?

• Not co-infection.

• Super-infection is a result of already being HIV+ and then, at a later instance, getting infected again with another different strain of the virus, thus the name “re-infection”.

So what IS the problem?• The “great who-what-where-why-how unknown”. • What is known…it vastly decreases T-cell count,

increases viral load, rapidly speeds up the progression to full blown AIDS & eventual death.

• THERE IS NO DRUG TREATMENT as current antiretroviral drug combinations for HIV have no affect on super-infection & its progression.

Due to the lack of knowledge of, treatment for, and drug resistance to super-infection…

• Infected people are dying faster and harder.

• Many unanswered questions exist……

• There is a scare in the air for all as the impact of this discovery extends beyond just those who are super-infected……

Super-infection can impact the Super-infection can impact the health effects of all:health effects of all:

• The fear exist that this new discovery will redirect research and funding away from normal HIV drug treatment and vaccine development.

• It is also speculated that super-infection has the potential for generating a new strain or strains of the HIV virus.

Possible Solutions

• CONTINUED RESEARCHCONTINUED RESEARCH: The unanswered questions need to be answered. How likely is an epidemic in the future? Which HIV patients are at the greatest risk? Can it generate a new more powerful strain or strains? What is the best protection? How likely is it that effective drug treatments or vaccines will be created?

• EDUCATIONEDUCATION: Now that the medical community has identified super-infection and it’s implications, it essential that they now inform and educate HIV patients, as well as the general population, about this new discovery. Education should then extend to how to help prevent the super-infection spread via safer sexual education.

• COUNSELINGCOUNSELING: HIV+ patients need to be counseled when they are at risk or have been super-infected. HIV doctors need counseling too for how to tell and assist their patients who are super-infected.

Best Solution…Best Solution…• Prevention! Without a current effective

drug treatment, the best solution is preventing the spread of super-infection

• Education! Lack of public knowledge of super-infection contributes to it’s spread.

Identifying The Best SolutionIdentifying The Best Solution

• It is a new problem with few options.

• The preferred solution would be an effective drug treatment – until that is found we need to do more.

Impact of the Solution:Impact of the Solution:

• Lower the number of Lower the number of new cases while drug new cases while drug researchers work on researchers work on a treatment.a treatment.

• Minimize the amount Minimize the amount of research taken of research taken away from current away from current HIV/AIDS drug HIV/AIDS drug research.research.

 Effect of problem on health:

What if not addressed? • Studies show that HIV infected people do better and

live longer due to today’s number of treatment options and the number of doctors experienced in treating HIV.

• In contrast, super-infection of similar HIV strains creates resistance of current antiretroviral drug treatment and accelerated disease mortality.

• This deserves special attention because of the implications on health if not addressed. People with the super infection of HIV will develop full blown AIDS faster and the number of cases will soon increase resulting in higher death rates.

Possible Solutions:Possible Solutions: PROTECTION!PROTECTION!

• As mentioned earlier, the solutions for As mentioned earlier, the solutions for this problem consists of 3 main this problem consists of 3 main strategies:strategies:

• Education of the problem to the public.Education of the problem to the public.

• Counseling of infected patients & Counseling of infected patients & doctors.doctors.

• Continued research of super-infection.Continued research of super-infection.

Selected Solution & Anticipated OutcomeSelected Solution & Anticipated OutcomeOur combination method, however, can likely have only a slight effect on the unknown outcome. The people who don’t know they are super-infected will have the greatest impact. There is, on average, 60,000 people living with HIV in the U.S. that do not even know it! So…

It will take many years to come up with a definitive super-infection solution that is highly effective, just like history has shown with other social problems and diseases of this potential magnitude.

Our Shared Philosophy of ActionOur Shared Philosophy of Action