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Researchers say they have discovered a new variant of HIV in the Netherlands. The VB variant.
It’s not just Sars-Cov2 that has variants! Other viruses are also evolving, such as HIV, which has been raging for almost more than 30 years now (June 5, 1981, date of the first reported case). In a new study published in the scientific journal Science, researchers explain that they have discovered a new variant of the virus in the Netherlands.
In the first analyses, this new variant, called variant VB, was detected in 17 HIV-positive patients in the Netherlands. After this discovery, the researchers continued their study with more people. In all, 6700 people with HIV in the Netherlands were identified for the study and 109 cases of the VB variant were reported.
3.5 times more viral load
According to initial analyses, there would be 3.5 times more viral load in people affected by the VB variant, which would be more transmissible than other HIV mutations.
Antiretrovirals still effective
In their study report, the researchers explain that this variant would have appeared and spread in the 80s and 90s until 2010 when the evolution of treatments made it possible to slow down its progression. Precisely, concerning the treatments, according to the researchers, no need to worry, the already existing antiretrovirals seem to work well on this variant.