Herpes helps HIV
Active genital herpes sores can make people with HIV 12 times more infectious
to their partners, researchers told the annual conference of the Infectious
Diseases Society of America. They recommended that people with HIV and
herpes should take acyclovir or other prophylaxis against herpes regardless
of their CD4 count. Other studies have confirmed that HIV transmission
is rare when the viral load in blood is under 3,500. But transmission
is 'likely' from man to woman when the viral load in semen is over 30,000.
Earlier is not better
A new survey confirms that patients who start HIV therapy with a CD4 count
of 200 do just as well as patients who start at higher counts. UK HIV
statistician Professor Andrew Phillips combed through the biggest three
patient databases in Europe. He also found that patients starting with
an HIV viral load over 100,000 took longer to reach undetectability, but
in the end did just as well. A Canadian study found that Aids deaths were
very rare among patients who started treatment above a CD4 count of 200,
and uncommon in CD4 counts above 50. Some patients, such as those co-infected
with hepatitis C, may still be advised to start treatment earlier.
A spoonful of what???
The Audit Commission has warned that the number of patients who experience
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