In response to an earlier thread i lay down some facts on this dreaded pandemic caused by a rather simple virus called HIV. Which i prefer to call the master of disguise. For the last 26 years scientists have battled this virus which remains elusive as a result of many factors but what stands out most is its ability to induce a vicious cycle of generating its substrates which it re-infects again and again until the immune system is exhausted and when it cannot fight anymore. At that point the immune system is overwhelmed AIDS defining ailments set in and no going back. That is why knowing your HIV status is a good thing. I recognize that group aired on one of broadcast stations testing people (men and women) in Kibera at night. Kudos and keep it up,this virus spreads with a higher frequency in darkness than in light so if the cover of darkness will have more people knowing their status then it's even better.

The battle to combat HIV has been long and it is going to take many more years to contain this pandemic which is the worst ever of our times. However,all is not lost and we are making good progress in as far as creating a situation where you can live with the virus just as long as God wanted you to live. Through zinc finger nuclease gene-editing technology it possible to harvest un-infected CD4-positive T-cells from a patient and knock out the co-receptor (CCR5) that HIV prefers to use early in infection to enter the cell,then grow the cells in culture to a certain level and put them back to the same patient. Equally important is the fact that the body cannot reject what it is its own so no expensive medication unlike other transplants. This research work is informed by groups of people who have a genetic advantage and HIV bounces of even when it has the opportunity to establish a productive infection.

In Kenya though this technology is quite expensive it can only apply to the patient with subtype A but not subtype D,since the later uses a different coreceptor very early in infection. In addition to being very aggressive. Infection with subtype D is responsible for the faster progression to death in some patients. Have you ever wondered why some people die of HIV so fast and others exhibit mental disturbances (HIV associated Dementia),it is this subtype D which is responsible. Its also important to note that it has a highway-corridor which extends from Mombasa deep into Congo. So,as we spend days and nights searching for the ever elusive vaccine for HIV,beware of this deadly pandemic. Male circumcision reduces the chances of contracting the virus by upto 66%; this may explain why the ratio of infected men:women in communities that face the knife is lower than those that do not. Although other factors for instance progestin and progesterol which are women specific hormones have much more role in induction of the state of chronic immune activation which is an independent predictor of progression to AIDS.

Parting shot!!! Not all encounters with causes a productive infection but no one should take chances. For the moment what we need most is putting all the human beings...i mean all human beings requiring ARVs on HAART,i understand in Kenya about 60% of those requiring these medications cannot access them. We can think of this before Ocampo's plane touches down and hauls people to the Hague.