Last year researchers announced that a child born with HIV was living free of the virus as a result of aggressive drug treatment just 30 hours after birth. The existence of a second such child was revealed at a recent AIDS conference in Boston, with five more successful cases expected to be announced soon.
After hearing about the first baby cured of HIV in Mississippi, doctors treated an HIV positive newborn in Long Beach, California with a high dose of three antiretroviral drugs: AZT, 3TC, and nevirapine. While the child is still taking antiretrovirals, she has been living free of the virus for nine months. Although doctors are reluctant to call the child "cured," the most hypersensitive tests are unable to find any trace of the virus in the child's blood or tissue.
A clinical trial of 50 more children is expected to begin in the next few months.
Read more about these findings at theglobeandmail.com