Aggressively treating HIV infection before symptoms become apparent could improve patient outcomes and control the spread of the disease. The studies conducted in both developing and developed countries; including the US and Africa, support the ‘seek, test and treat’ hypothesis. This hypothesis has been around for over a decade indeed the treatment of pregnant women to avoid transmission to offspring is an example of this.
The new research however proposes finding and treating all HIV patients; a 3,408 person study in Africa showed an almost total abolition of HIV transmission from partner-partner when an initial treatment regimen was put in place. WHO modelling has suggested that “HIV could be almost eliminated within 50 years by finding and treating every HIV-infected person immediately — rather than waiting for the disease to advance to the point at which treatment is recommended by current guidelines.”
Not everyone however is happy with the research; some critics have warned this could radically escalate HIV drug resitance, or result in funding being diverted from patients in developing countries who actually have and require the treatment but who are still not receiving it.
More info:
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/1002.../4631006a.html
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