Let's get right down to it, shall we? HIV and AIDS is bad. Thousands of people die from this disease every day, and its estimated that over 3 million children globally are living with HIV. And it was thought to be impossible to cure. So if I told you a baby born in Mississippi with HIV is now free of the infection, you would say that's pretty good news, right?
The mother was unaware she had contracted HIV and therefore passed it on to her unborn baby. Within hours of birth, Dr. Hannah Gay of the University of Mississippi, began treating the baby with a strong cocktail of drugs. At around 18 months, the mother stopped treatments and follow ups, but 5 months later came back with the child and was found to have an "undetectable viral load", meaning the child was HIV-negative. If this method does prove to be successful, it could lead to a relatively inexpensive course of treatment for infants world wide. Generally, women infected with HIV in the U.S. can receive treatment during the pregnancy, as long as they are aware of the infection. However, developing countries are less likely to be treated during pregnancy because they lack the sophisticated testing. Now there is proof that babies can be treated successfully and inexpensively, after birth and become HIV-negative.
This New York Times article gets into the sciencey stuff, so feel free to click through and learn more about it! You could also read more about it at PBS's blog, The Rundown!
Now if curing HIV isn't good enough news, here's some cute pictures to brighten your day! :)
How that kitty got stuck in the sock, I have no clue. But its adorable. via buzzfeed
I love chow chow puppies! Don't you just want to snuggle that little bear-dog? via buzzfeed
He fits peeeeerfectly in that frying pan (sorry, I had to). via buzzfeed
What's better than one chow chow puppy? Three! via buzzfeed
Don't tell him he isn't the easter bunny! via buzzfeed
Little corgi's first snow! via attack of the cute
Puppy burrito!!! via attack of the cute
What do you think about the advances in curing HIV? Let me know in the comments! And don't forget if you have any good news, let me know! I'd love to share it!! :)
