New African A.I.D.S. Virus Discovered (Press, 11 November 1986)

A new A.I.D.S. virus discovered in West Africa in 1985 may pose a significant health threat, according to French researcher Dr Luc Montagnier. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association of Blood Banks in San Francisco on 11 November 1986, he indicated that the newly identified virus, referred to as LAV-II, could be as deadly as the original strain of the disease. Initially perceived as causing only isolated cases of A.I.D.S., Dr Montagnier now believes it may be a major contributor to the A.I.D.S. epidemic in West Africa and has already been identified in several Western European countries. Dr Montagnier, who previously helped isolate the original A.I.D.S. virus in 1984, expressed concern that LAV-II is likely to reach the United States soon. He reported that French scientists have isolated this new virus in approximately 63 individuals, although other researchers caution that these findings could be premature due to the limited number of patients studied. Harvard scientist Phyllis Kanki urged a more conservative interpretation of the data, suggesting it may be too soon to determine the widespread prevalence of LAV-II among humans. LAV-II reportedly evades detection by conventional blood tests designed for A.I.D.S., prompting the need for new screening methods. A.I.D.S. is transmitted primarily through blood and semen, not through casual contact, and attacks the immune system, rendering individuals susceptible to infections and tumours. Since the original virus was discovered, two additional variants have been identified: LAV-II and HTLV-IV, the latter being isolated from the blood of healthy individuals in Senegal but without evidence of causing illness. LAV-II can affect both men and women and seems to be transmitted through heterosexual contact as well as blood, yet it has not been found among homosexual men or intravenous drug users. Among the individuals infected with LAV-II, Dr Montagnier noted that 11 have developed A.I.D.S. and 10 have related illnesses, with seven reported deaths thus far. The remainder of the infected individuals have not yet shown symptoms. While the original strain remains the primary cause of A.I.D.S. cases in central Africa, in West Africa, LAV-II may be gaining prominence as a leading cause of the disease. Dr Montagnier acknowledged the unexpected nature of this discovery, stating it was surprising to find two different viruses could lead to the same illness.

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