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A man who got a drug-resistant form of the virus was re-infected 10 months later with another HIV strain, Montreal researchers found in a case study published in the August issue of the journal AIDS.
They estimate that three to four per cent of newly infected HIV patients may have a secondary infection, or superinfection, that could spread to their partners.
"We used to say to
couples who are both HIV-positive, you don't have to take precautions," said Dr. Mark Wainberg, director of the McGill AIDS Centre, which participated in the study. "Now I think we have to be a
little bit more cautious."
He and colleagues long suspected a person could harbour two different forms of HIV. They proved it by identifying and cloning the viruses from one man and his
partner.
"This is the first time we have observed this kind of case study in Canada," said Wainberg, adding that there were simultaneous, similar reports from the United States and
Switzerland.
"We know that this is something that is taking place now on a daily, widespread basis."
Superinfections will set back research, Wainberg said, making the disease
much tougher to treat.
"This has to make it harder for us to develop a protective vaccine."
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