With new HIV strain in Russia, the region is now considered as one silent but deadly AIDS epidemic country. The new strain announced two years earlier in a scientific research center in Siberia has been alarming as experts revealed it causes massive spreading throughout Russia at a rapid rate.
As Forbes reported in 2013, the new HIV strain in Russia was detected in Novosibirsk in 2006. It accounted for over 50 percent new HIV infections in the region according to the statement released by Novosibirsk's Koltsovo science city.
HIV infections have dropped significantly in all parts of the globe even in South Africa where it was earlier considered as the most deadly AIDS location in the world. However, records made by UNAIDS revealed that Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe showed an increasing trend from 2001 to 2011.
The new HIV strain in Russia labeled as 02_AG/A was detected by researchers at the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR in Siberia according to the Moscow News.
As Daily Mail reports, the new HIV strain in Russia spreads not only in Siberia. It is also accounted for the infection in regions including Chechnya, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
It is believed that the new subtype is responsible for increasing HIV-infection record of 2,000 in 2007 to as high as 15,000 in 2012. For this occurrence, the virus was regarded as the most virulent type of HIV in Russia.
Russia is a country composed of 143 million people and the new HIV strain in Russia has caused majority of the HIV-infected persons in the region. Today, Russia is regarded as the top country with the most HIV-infected persons in the world citing drugs and sex as the major cause of spreading the virus.
The rise on HIV infection is seen as an epidemic threat to Russia where it is believed that there was only little education when it comes to sex and HIV awareness. The UN also stated as the figures rise, only 25 percent of the people received treatment due to social stigma.
Drug injection and unsafe sexual contacts are considered as the primary cause of the new HIV strain in Russia spread in the country. With insufficient domestic funding for HIV prevention, the problem to arrest the rise of the virus remains an issue.
A new hope is seen in order to cure AIDS. As reported by New York Daily News, a group of Russian scientists has discoeverd that Chaga, a fungi that grows on birch trees could be provide cure to viruses including smallpox, influenza and even AIDS.
As the new HIV strain in Russia is seen as a deadly epidemic problem, another HIV strain was also detected in Africa by Sweden's Lund University scientists last year. The particular HIV-strain is a combination of the two most common HIV strains in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa according to JobsnHire.
As the new HIV strain in Russia is becoming really disturbing, it is high time for all to be aware of the probable causes that could get them into trouble. There were many stories revealed by Vice publishing where most of the HIV-infected people in Russia were caught unaware on how they got the virus.
