NIH: 'Mississippi baby' now has detectable HIV

NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said researchers found detectable levels of HIV in a child previously thought to be cured of the virus. The child, known as the Mississippi baby, was born in 2010 to an HIV-infected mother who did not receive antiretroviral medication during pregnancy and was not diagnosed with HIV infection until delivery. The baby received liquid antiretroviral treatment comprising zidovudine, lamivudine, and nevirapine from 30 hours post-birth to 18 months of age, then was lost to follow up and no longer received treatment. When the child was seen five months later, researchers found undetectable HIV levels (<20 copies/mL) and no HIV-specific antibodies in blood samples.

However, a routine visit this month revealed detectable HIV levels in the blood (16,750 copies/mL), which was confirmed by repeat viral blood testing performed 72 hours later. NIAID Director Anthony Fauci said the case indicates that early antiretroviral treatment did not eliminate the reservoir of HIV-infected cells, but may have considerably limited its development. ...