HIV strains.....

[dingowarrior]

Are there different strains of HIV/AIDS?

In other words can you have a slight strain of HIV or is it all the same?

Sorrry for the dumb question,but I've been meaning to ask for quite awhile.

[RapidRod]

There is different types, groups and strains.

[dingowarrior]

Thanks for the chart, but which would be the worst? HIV1 or 2 ?Which letters are worse?

[Ann]

Dingo,

What is the point of your question? I don't mean to sound rude; I genuinely wonder where this line of questioning is coming from.

Hiv2 is mainly only found in western Africa. It tends to progress slower and it also tends to be even more difficult to transmit than hiv1.

As for hiv1, the severity of infection seems to have more to do with how each individual's body deals with the virus. From what we're seeing with LTNPs, it has something to do with genetics. Everyone reacts to the virus differently and it's more to do with individual makeup than it has to do with different strains of the virus.

It may help us to answer you if we knew the background of why you are asking these questions.

Ann

[dingowarrior]

Dingo,

What is the point of your question? I don't mean to sound rude; I genuinely wonder where this line of questioning is coming from.

Hiv2 is mainly only found in western Africa. It tends to progress slower and it also tends to be even more difficult to transmit than hiv1.

As for hiv1, the severity of infection seems to have more to do with how each individual's body deals with the virus. From what we're seeing with LTNPs, it has something to do with genetics. Everyone reacts to the virus differently and it's more to do with individual makeup than it has to do with different strains of the virus.

It may help us to answer you if we knew the background of why you are asking these questions.

Ann

Thanks Ann for your reply.
Honestly, there was no real deep reason as to why I was inquiring. I was on the bus,on my way home from work a couple of weeks ago, and I just thought to myself "I wonder if there are different degrees of this virus I have?
 I wonder if it can be compared to something like having a mild cold or a severe case of a cold. You know what i mean?? There both are cold's, some cold's worse than others.
 I really didnt have any deep thought or concerne..Just a random thought.

[Ann]

Dingo,

I hope I've answered your random thought/question adequately.

Look at it this way - I was diagnosed as part of a cluster, all originating from the same source. This (the diagnosis) was back in 2001. All of us had been infected around three to five/six years earlier. A few of us, ones who were most likely infected later, had to go on meds pretty much immediately. I know (with hindsight) that I was infected in the spring of 1997. I'm still not on meds.

At the time, there was talk that we had been infected with some "virulent" form of the virus (because of those of us who had to go on meds right away). Not so. Some of us just had bodies that weren't so good at controlling the virus and some had bodies that were better at controlling the virus.

It's a genetic crap-shoot. That's what it looks like so far anyway.

I hope it's a crap-shoot you're winning.

Ann

[dingowarrior]

Yes Ann, you have indeed answered my question..Thanks ....as always ,you come thru with flying colors!

I am indeed one of the lucky ones....In a unlucky sort of way. 

[PeteNYNJ]

This may be a stupider question, but If HIV2 is predominate more in Africa, then why is Africa so devastated.  If it progresses slower and is harder to transmit, then why are the rates so high?

I would imagine that not have access to any basic health care would be suspect, but has anyone looked at why Africans tend to die faster and have higher rates of infection?

[RapidRod]

HIV2 is not the most predominate type of virus in Africa. HIV1 is the most predominate type in Africa.

[planonstaying]

the worst is drug resistant and it can be any strain because most people need meds eventually. 

[dixieman]

To answer your question about ... Why HIV is so devastating in Africa? Famine, poverty, lack of access to treatment and the list goes on...

[LordBerners]

I'm rather interested in this issue of differences between strains - I have the subtype or strain prevalent in Southeast Asia (I remember it was designated on the test with lots of letters).  I would imagine that most of the members of this forum in North America have the type prevalent there, and I have heard there are some major differences.  I've been told that resistance is rarer in our (SE Asian) subtype, but progression to AIDS is usually much quicker. 

[RapidRod]

HIV-1 B and AE recombinants and subtype C compose the predominant infections in southeast Asia.

[positively_me]

This may be a stupider question, but If HIV2 is predominate more in Africa, then why is Africa so devastated.  If it progresses slower and is harder to transmit, then why are the rates so high?

I read an article a few years ago that talked about what hiv had done to Africa.  It mentioned that getting meds, even if you could afford them, was hard because they are stolen then sold on the black market for much higher prices.  Access to medicine was not a regular thing so people would start and stop their regmines. It also talked about how most antiretrovirals need to be taken with food but also caused diarrhea. People don't get to eat daily so they couldn't take the meds and if they did, they would lose whatever nutrition it was that they had just taken in.  It made me incredibly sad for the people there.  I almost felt that because of the high number of infected people and the conditions they live in, there was no hope for Africa.  I pray that I am wrong.

[LordBerners]

HIV-1 B and AE recombinants and subtype C compose the predominant infections in southeast Asia.

I wish that meant something to me - alas I know little about these designations.  But is it correct that the majority of infections here are of a different sub-type than those in the USA?  Do you know of any differences in their characteristics?