All articles tagged with #hiv
At Nishtar Hospital in Multan, nine doctors and one nurse were suspended after a patient who tested HIV-positive underwent surgery without prior HIV screening; the operation theatre was sealed and HIV tests were conducted on more than ten staff. Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir called the alleged negligence intolerable and said strict action would follow an inquiry.
Philadelphia health officials warned patients of Smiles at Rittenhouse Square about potential HIV and hepatitis exposure from April 2025 through May 2026 after an unannounced inspection found unsanitary practices. The clinic is closed and the sole dentist’s license was suspended for public‑health safety concerns. Officials say the risk is likely low, but a list of potentially exposed patients could be hundreds; those seen in the period should get tested, with a hotline (215-685-5488) established and guidance on testing. Hepatitis B vaccination offers protection, but there are no vaccines for HIV or hepatitis C; testing may require multiple blood draws to establish baselines and follow up. A second clinic with a similar name in the same building is not under investigation.
Philadelphia health officials urge patients of Smiles at Rittenhouse Square to get tested for HIV and hepatitis after investigators found unsanitary practices; the clinic is closed and the dentist's license suspended; potential exposure window is April 2025 through May 2026; no linked cases identified yet, but risk is considered low but real; officials expect hundreds of patients may be affected and have set up a helpline at 215-685-5488; hepatitis B vaccination offers protection if exposed, while there are no vaccines for HIV or hepatitis C; testing may require multiple blood draws depending on timing.
Public health officials are investigating a Rittenhouse-area dental clinic after reports that patients may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis. Officials are notifying potentially affected individuals and urging testing and medical consultation, while investigators determine the scope of any risk.
Philadelphia health officials shut down Smiles at Rittenhouse Square after unsafe dental practices prompted a potential exposure to HIV and hepatitis; the dentist's license was suspended, patients are advised to get tested, and a hotline with testing resources is available.
Philadelphia health officials suspended the Smiles at Rittenhouse Square license and closed the clinic after unsanitary conditions were found. Former patients who visited from April 2025 through May 2026 will be notified by mail to seek testing for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C; a hotline (215-685-5488) is available for questions. No infections have been confirmed, and the clinic will not reopen until infection-control remediation is completed and the dentist’s license is reinstated. A separate investigation by the Pennsylvania Department of State is underway, and Dr. Kirti Chopra is cooperating with authorities.
A public exhibition at Sotheby’s New York presents Keith Haring’s works from his longtime friend Kermit Oswald, including a taxi-yellow crib and a rare 1985 self-portrait, as part of Haring’s House: Works From the Collection of Kermit Oswald ahead of two May sales. The roughly 20 works on offer reveal a personal side of the artist, with pieces linked to Burroughs’ collaboration and Haring’s HIV diagnosis; the crib is estimated at $250,000–$350,000 and the self-portrait at $3–$5 million, among other pieces. Oswald describes their friendship as non-competitive and hopes the works will find a home where they can be shared, potentially in a museum.
Fiji is experiencing a surge in HIV infections, prompting health authorities to expand testing, treatment, and prevention efforts. Experts note that stigma and limited access in rural areas challenge progress, underscoring the need for funding and community outreach to curb transmission and protect vulnerable populations.
Official data show PEPFAR kept about 20 million people on HIV treatment in mid-2025, but prevention work deteriorated sharply: roughly 4 million fewer people were tested in Q4 2025, new treatment starts fell, PrEP enrollments dropped about 41%, and prevention programs for key populations collapsed to near zero, all amid workforce cuts and less transparent reporting—raising concerns of a hidden, long-term HIV surge despite seemingly steady treatment numbers.
New immunology research links specific immune-cell patterns and two genes (DDIT4 and ZNF254) to longer ART-free control of HIV; metformin can activate one of these mechanisms to keep HIV dormant, delaying or potentially preventing rebound after treatment interruption. Analyses of ART-interruption trials showed higher levels of stem cell–memory CD8+ T cells and certain natural killer cells associated with slower rebound. This supports a block-and-lock strategy using metformin or similar drugs, with preclinical and clinical testing planned by the HOPE Collaboratory to pursue HIV silencing while reducing inflammation.
PrEP could end HIV in the United States, but access remains uneven due to insurance gaps, provider knowledge gaps, stigma, and racial/geographic disparities; telemedicine and long-acting injections are expanding reach, but affordability and policy changes—like funding cuts to HIV prevention—could threaten progress.
The World Health Organization certified The Bahamas for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, marking a Caribbean leadership milestone in EMTCT. The achievement rests on universal antenatal care, a robust lab network, early HIV testing with re-testing in the third trimester, PrEP for HIV prevention among pregnant women, and sustained, free care for HIV-positive mothers and exposed infants, supported by high coverage of antenatal care, HIV testing, and treatment. To earn certification, EMTCT requires MTCT under 2%, fewer than 5 new pediatric HIV infections per 1,000 live births, and 95% or higher coverage for antenatal care, HIV testing, and treatment.
FDA approved IDVYNSO, a once-daily two-drug regimen (doravirine/islatravir) for adults with virologically suppressed HIV-1, intended to replace their current antiretroviral therapy. It is the first non-INSTI, tenofovir-free two-drug therapy to demonstrate non-inferiority to a three-drug regimen in two Phase 3 trials (052 vs BIKTARVY and 051 vs baseline ART). The product will be available in pharmacies after May 11 and carries contraindications with strong CYP3A inducers and with lamivudine or emtricitabine, plus safety considerations including potential severe skin reactions and drug interactions. Trials enrolled 708 participants with diverse demographics, supporting another option in HIV treatment.
BBC findings link hundreds of pediatric HIV infections to THQ Taunsa Sharif Hospital in Taunsa, Pakistan, where staff reused syringes on multi-dose vials, infecting at least 331 children between Nov 2024 and Oct 2025. Undercover footage shows 10 syringe-reuse incidents and four cases where the same vial was used for different patients. Despite prior staff dismissals and a new administrator’s denials of the footage, the case exposes grave infection-control failures with unclear accountability.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko urged annual HIV testing for about one-third of Russia’s population to curb rising infections, saying broader screening is essential to reduce transmission. Russia logged roughly 54 million HIV tests in 2024 (about 37% of the population), the highest in years, but WHO data show a high prevalence of about 890 per 100,000 with total living with HIV around 1.25 million in 2025. Officials also note a treatment gap, with about 900,000 officially under medical supervision in 2025. The government frames early detection through expanded testing as the key to preventing further spread.