Tuesday, August 04, 2009

SIV mutates and infects human

A woman who tested positive for HIV has been found to be carrying a new strain of the virus which is thought to have originally been passed to humans by gorillas.

The new strain was identified in a 62-year-old woman who moved to Paris after living in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. Three other strains of HIV-1 have previously been identified and are all thought to have derived from a similar virus carried by chimpanzees.

Lesson:  Evolution happens.  Strains of SIV related to ones that have crossed over to humans will continue to mutate, and can cross over to humans if given half a chance.  Mutations happen, and will continue to happen.  Some of the changes are bound to be more of a nuisance than others.

No comments: