Girl cured of HIV for first time ever
Published: Sunday, March 3, 2013
Updated: Tuesday, March 5, 2013 23:03
 "Photo: AP Photo/ University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jay Ferchaud")
AP Photo/ University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jay Ferchaud
Dr. Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi said a baby born with HIV appears to have been cured, scientists announced Sunday. The child from Mississippi who's now 2½ and has been off medication for about a year with no signs of infection.
The first child to ever be “functionally cured” of HIV is a 2-year-old Mississippi girl, researchers announced at a conference on Sunday.
The unidentified girl was born HIV positive to a mother who was unaware she herself was infected until shortly before delivery.
Dr. Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and one of the case's researchers, said early awareness and treatment of the girl’s condition was vital to the outcome.
“We didn’t have the opportunity to treat the mom during the pregnancy as we would like to be able to do to prevent transmission to the baby,” Gay said.
Doctors began treating the girl with three antiretroviral vaccines 30 hours after she was born.
A “functional cure” exists when traces of the virus are small enough to avoid clinical detection and not require lifelong treatment.
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