HIV losing its edge, evolving into milder form, study finds

One of the world's most feared virus is losing its edge. HIV is evolving to become less deadly and less infectious, according to a major scientific study led by British scientists.

The team at the University of Oxford has shown that it was taking longer for HIV infection to cause AIDS.

 The rapid evolution of HIV, which has allowed the virus to develop resistance to patients' natural immunity is at the same time slowing the virus's ability to cause AIDS.

 The study also indicates that people infected by HIV are likely to progress to AIDS more slowly — in other words the virus becomes less virulent — because of widespread access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Both processes make an important contribution to the overall goal of the control and eradication of the HIV epidemic.

Scientists said: "Twenty years ago the time to AIDS was 10 years, but in the last 10 years in Botswana that might have increased to 12.5 years. One might imagine as time extends this could stretch further and further and in the future people being asymptomatic for decades."

In 2013, there were a total of 35 million people living with HIV worldwide according to the World Health Organization.

The study was led by researchers at the University of Oxford, along with scientists from South Africa, Canada, Tokyo, Harvard University and Microsoft Research. 

This news was published by The Times Of India Read More Here.