AIDS virus building resistance to drugs
The Aids virus is rapidly becoming resistant to life-saving drug therapies in the UK, new research showed today.
Up to 27% of people acquiring HIV are now being infected with a resistant form of the virus, according to the study.
The findings have alarmed campaigners, who said they reinforced the need not to become complacent about HIV and Aids.
Derek Bodell, chief executive of the National Aids Trust charity, said: ‘‘This new research underlines the fact that we do not yet have a cure for Aids and that HIV remains a life-threatening disease.
‘‘The frightening thing is that we are now seeing more new cases than ever before in the UK at - 3,000 per year.’’
Scientists from the Public Health Laboratory Service, based in London and Birmingham, tested viruses obtained between June 1994 and August 2000 from 69 people newly-infected with HIV.
The researchers were looking for one or more key viral mutations associated with drug resistance.
They detected resistance in 10 of the patients. In two cases, resistance against two of the three available classes of therapeutic drugs was identified.
The chance of being infected with a drug-resistant virus increased over time. By last year, the estimated prevalence of drug-resistant infections had reached 27%.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, the scientists led by Dr Deenan Pillay, said: ‘‘New approaches to encourage safer sexual behaviour are urgently needed.’’
The researchers thought the trend might be linked to the frequent use of highly active antiretroviral therapy. In addition, as unprotected sex among those at high risk increased, the likelihood of being infected by a person who has taken antiretroviral drugs also increased.
Mr Bodell said it was vital to review the thinking behind existing prevention campaigns in an age of powerful combination drug therapy for HIV.
‘‘We ask the Government to make this a top priority,’’ he said.
