Recent announcements and opinions have had a dramatic influence on the general understanding of AIDS.
The first of the significant proclamations occurred in June 2008 when Dr. K. de Cock, Head of UNN HIV/AIDS stated that, apart from in poor African countries, there never had been a danger of a heterosexually transmitted epidemic of HIV/AIDS. This is good news as it means that HIV/AIDS should not be considered in the same light as the more traditional sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea.
The second announcement was in November, 2009. In a joint release, the World Health Organization and UN HIV/AIDS categorically stated that, “The latest epidemiological data indicate that globally the spread of HIV appears to have peaked in 1996 when 3.5 million new infections occurred. In 2008 the estimated number of new HIV infections was approximately 30 per cent lower than at the epidemic’s peak 12 years earlier.” This is a significant event in the history of the syndrome as it is the first time that officialdom has admitted that HIV/AIDS is declining and has been for more than a decade. In other words, the HIV/AIDS global epidemic has been retreating in magnitude since 1996. Apart from this admission, an even more surprising one from the UN AIDS experts was that the decrease in the number of HIV infections may simply be the result of the virus burning itself out rather than as a consequence of any therapeutic or health related interventions. This questions the wisdom of spending billions of dollars on developing an HIV/AIDS vaccine.
These statements present a different perspective on HV/AIDS from that usually portrayed in the medical and lay literature. However, they pale in comparison to recent opinions voiced by Dr. L. Montagnier. To fully appreciated the significance of Dr. Montagnier’s comments it is worthwhile remembering that in the fall of 2008 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering the human immunodeficiency virus and that he is considered a major world figure in the science of AIDS.
“The House of Numbers” is a recent award winning film in which researchers are interviewed regarding their opinions on HIV/AIDS. During his interview with the film’s director, Dr. Montagnier said that anyone with a healthy immune system could overcome the virus within two to three weeks and that even poor Africans could do the same if they were provided with decent food and water. Dr. Montagnier’s exact words were, “Our immune system will get rid of the virus within a few weeks, if you have a good immune system: and this is the problem also in Africa, of African people. Their nutrition is not very well equilibrated, they are in oxidative stress, even if they are not infected with HIV. So their immune system doesn’t work well, already. So it’s prone, you know, it can allow HIV to get in and persist.”
Oxidative stress is caused by contaminated water, malnutrition, malaria, tuberculosis, parasitosis and a host of other tropical diseases. According to Dr. Montagnier overcoming these conditions is a much more effective method of combating HIV/AIDS than are toxic antiviral medications and yet to be developed vaccines. Indeed, on further questioning Dr. Montagnier emphasized that anyone with a healthy immune system has nothing to fear from the AIDS virus. With this understanding it is not too difficult to appreciate why the immune suppression found as a consequence of illegal drug abuse and chronic and recurring STDs might be fertile ground for HIV infection rather than the infection causing the immune suppression.
Dr. Montagagnier’s opinions will be heretical to those adhering to the traditional views on HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless his comments and the UN HIV/AIDS announcements offer refreshing and positive perspectives on what has been deemed as the worst disease of modern times. It is not known to what degree these developments will alter the views of most HIV/AIDS scientists. However, they would be less than prudent to ignore them or to deny that the long held views on HIV/AIDS are changing.
In the mid-1980s, HIV/AIDS incited a revolution in dental infection control that was not based on science but on fear, hyperbole and political interference. In turn, this has spawned an infinite number of infection control recommendations and regulations that pander to the concepts of the precautionary principle rather than to the realities of infectious disease transmissions during dental treatment. It would be refreshing to believe that as our understanding of HIV/AIDS changes so would our approach to infection control in the dental office. OH
Dr. Hardie was intimately involved in the development of the RCDSO 1996 evidence-based guidelines. Since then he has maintained an interest in this topic and how it and related diseases have influenced dental infection control recommendations.
Oral Health welcomes this original article.
