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A study suggests an AIDS-like disease is targeting Asians abroad and in the United States. While it is not HIV, the condition mimics Acquired Immune Deficiency by damaging the person's immune system. The Flu, cold virus, or other common infections cannot be fought off.
Thursday, CBS published a news story that said the results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Sarah Browne is a scientist and researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She took part in the study that found an alarming number of people in Thailand and Taiwan suffering from the mysterious disease that acts like the AIDS virus.
"We know there are many others out there, including many cases mistaken as tuberculosis in some countries," she said about the HIV/AIDS-like finding.
The Acquired Immune Deficiency-like disease study involved about 100 or so volunteers, all of whom were Asia or Asian-born.
The first cases of the condition cropped up in 2004. At the time, doctors thought patients were suffering from HIV. However, upon closer inspection, they discovered the condition, unlike AIDS, did not target T-cells. Furthermore, it did not spread from human to human.
There are reports of some people wasting away over time as the condition blocks the body from producing white blood cells that target viruses. However, there is no genetic connection, leading scientists to believe that the AIDS-like disease is due to a systematic infection or something in the environment.
AIDS affects millions globally. While cases spiked dramatically in the '80s, the number of people who died from HIV has declined due to advances in medicines, education and awareness.
Hopefully, the study sparks a call-to-action in order to find the cause and cure for the mysterious disease.
Thursday, CBS published a news story that said the results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Sarah Browne is a scientist and researcher at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She took part in the study that found an alarming number of people in Thailand and Taiwan suffering from the mysterious disease that acts like the AIDS virus.
"We know there are many others out there, including many cases mistaken as tuberculosis in some countries," she said about the HIV/AIDS-like finding.
The Acquired Immune Deficiency-like disease study involved about 100 or so volunteers, all of whom were Asia or Asian-born.
The first cases of the condition cropped up in 2004. At the time, doctors thought patients were suffering from HIV. However, upon closer inspection, they discovered the condition, unlike AIDS, did not target T-cells. Furthermore, it did not spread from human to human.
There are reports of some people wasting away over time as the condition blocks the body from producing white blood cells that target viruses. However, there is no genetic connection, leading scientists to believe that the AIDS-like disease is due to a systematic infection or something in the environment.
AIDS affects millions globally. While cases spiked dramatically in the '80s, the number of people who died from HIV has declined due to advances in medicines, education and awareness.
Hopefully, the study sparks a call-to-action in order to find the cause and cure for the mysterious disease.
