US scientists successfully cure child of HIV infection

Medical researchers in the US have achieved a major breakthrough in the treatment of HIV by functionally curing an infected child of the disease for the first time.

The child in question was born prematurely in 2010 in Mississippi at 35 weeks to an HIV-infected mother who had received neither antiretroviral medication nor prenatal care.

Under the care of Dr Hannah Gay, a paediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the infant was started at 30 hours of age on a liquid antiretroviral treatment, which continued until the child was 18 months old in January 2012.

Since then, the child has continued to show no identifiable levels of HIV in the body using standard assays despite receiving no treatment, an outcome that researchers wish to replicate in clinical trials.

US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr Anthony Fauci said: "With this case, it appears we may have not only a positive outcome for the particular child, but also a promising lead for additional research toward curing other children."

The World Health Organization estimates that around 34 million people in the world are living with HIV, including around 91,500 in the UK.