Drug-resistant strain could fuel rise in PHL HIV cases, experts warn

A drug-resistant subtype of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become prevalent in the Philippines, experts from the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB) warned on Tuesday.

NIMBB Director Edsel Salvana told GMA 7 news program "24 Oras" that most HIV cases in the country had shifted from the subtype B to a "more aggressive" subtype AE, which experts said could escalate to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) within five years.

Moreover, individuals infected with subtype AE were resistant to treatment.

Citing a two year study, the NIMBB said 10 percent of 500 patients being treated for HIV had not responded to medication.

Experts said that the subtype AE currently accounted for 75 percent of HIV cases in the Philippines.

Before 2003, around 75 percent of HIV cases in the country were of the subtype B, and only 25 percent were of the subtype AE.

Salvana said that the switch could have been caused by the neglect of treatment. "Lumalabas is, if you start all these people on treatment, tapos hindi nila i-take 'yung gamot nila, at least 95 percent of the time, nagiging resistant 'yung virus," he explained.

It was also possible that subtype AE became prevalent over time due to sexual intercourse between HIV-positive partners who did not commit to their treatment.

Salvana warned that the drug-resistant subtype could be a driver of an HIV epidemic in the country. "Ang isang nakita namin na nagda-drive nung epidemic, kung bakit sumabog talaga 'yung number of cases sa Pilipinas, is nagbago 'yung subtype natin."

Alarming

Aside from HIV patients taking their treatment more seriously, Salvana strongly also advised the public to remain faithful to their partners and to continue using protection during sex.

Experts had also raised concerns over HIV treatment in the Philippines, which was generally anchored on subtype B.

According to data from the Department of Health's HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines, the number of new HIV cases reported per day rose drastically from only one case per day in 2008 to 31/day in 2017.

Moreover, 94 percent (47,664) of the 50,725 HIV cases recorded from January 1984 to December 2017 were recorded within the past decade.

The country only saw 3,061 (6 percent) cases from 1984 to 2007.

Health Assistant Secretary Lyndon Lee Suy said the DOH had taken note of the NIMBB's "alarming" findings.

"Talaga namang 'yung mga ganitong klaseng study na lumilitaw ay something that we need to look into talaga na dapat tutukan din ng programa at maghanap ng mga ibang approaches na gagawin natin," said Suy. — Margaret Claire Layug/DVM/KG, GMA News