Expert Warns Of New Wave Of A.i.d.s. (Press, 16 March 1989)

On 16 March 1989, Dr Martin Tobias, a medical virologist at the National Health Institute, emphasised the need for proactive measures to prevent a potential new wave of AIDS infections caused by the recently identified second strain of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), known as HIV2. Dr Tobias had attended the inaugural international meeting on HIV2 at the World Health Organisation headquarters in Geneva. Although HIV2 was discovered in 1986 and research on it was limited, Dr Tobias noted that it shared similarities with HIV1, leading to the same disease, AIDS. However, it was a distinct virus, with new testing methods for its detection being developed only recently. HIV2 was primarily endemic to West Africa, particularly in Portuguese and French-speaking nations, with minimal instances reported outside these regions. Dr Tobias highlighted a few cases in Europe, the United States, and Canada; all of these cases could be traced back to individuals who had sexual encounters with West Africans. He underscored the importance of preventing a second wave of AIDS, citing preliminary research from the University of Dakar in Senegal, in collaboration with Harvard University, which suggested that HIV2 might be less virulent than HIV1 and may have a longer incubation period. Furthermore, individuals suffering from AIDS due to HIV2 seemed to have a longer survival time compared to those with HIV1-related AIDS. Dr Tobias theorised that HIV1 and HIV2 could share a common ancestor, and he indicated the possibility of other related retroviruses yet to be discovered. He expressed concern about the implications for New Zealand, suggesting that if HIV2 were to enter the country, it would likely do so through visitors from West Africa or through individuals who had sexual interaction with such visitors. He cautioned that if the virus infiltrated New Zealand's intravenous drug-using community, it could potentially spread rapidly, with sexual transmission also posing a risk. To monitor the situation, the institute planned to test blood samples from high-risk groups for both HIV1 and HIV2. Additionally, Dr Tobias noted that blood transfusion services might need to adjust their donor screening processes in the future to inquire about contact with individuals from West Africa and potentially exclude such donors to mitigate risk.

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