Emerging New "HIV-Like" Infectious Disease This website gathers news and information on an emerging "HIV/AIDS-like" pathogen (as it is so-called) spreading through China, and quite possibly across other countries around the world. The information on this website is mainly derived from Chinese media, from Chinese hospital and research laboratory reports on this new virus, and from web forums of the infected patients. In a subset of individuals, this new "HIV-like" pathogen appears to cause a significant overall deterioration in health, as well as the very sudden onset of powerful mental state changes, such as extreme anxiety disorder, anhedonia, and suicidal ideation. This pathogen transmits via saliva, and nearly always infects all members of a household within a few months (and often within weeks), once one family member has caught the pathogen and brought it into the home. About 10% or so of the individuals who catch this new HIV-like virus become ill, but most people who catch it do not manifest any significant symptoms (this is not unusual for viruses: poliovirus for example, though it paralyzed a small percentage of people, was completely asymptomatic in most individuals). The incubation period of this new "HIV-like" pathogen is around 2 to 3 days (this is the time it takes for the first symptoms of this disease to appear after the initial exposure to the pathogen). Around 7 to 14 days after the initial exposure to the pathogen, many of the disease symptoms will have manifested. Several major laboratories in China including the Pasteur Institute of Shanghai and the Chinese CDC have investigated the patients infected with this new pathogen and have determined that this pathogen is not a mutated HIV virus or a new HIV strain. This new "HIV-like" virus is probably not easily transmitted sexually, but is easily transmitted through kissing, which often takes place during sexual contact. This is why people who catch this virus mistakenly think they have caught a sexual disease. But in fact, once someone has caught this pathogen, it spreads to others, like friends and family, by ordinary household or workplace contact. So this pathogen is not to be considered a sexually transmitted pathogen, even though it is often caught from kissing during sex with a new partner (and is often caught from sex — even protected sex — with a prostitute, according to accounts from China). This mystery HIV-like virus can cause the sudden onset of severe and quite terrible psychological symptoms, including: constant extreme anxiety states (generalized anxiety disorder), depression, anhedonia, suicidal ideation, poor memory and cognitive dysfunction. These mental state changes appear to be physically caused by the altered brain biochemistry and brain inflammation resulting from the infection with this virus. Due to the extreme anxiety states generated by this pathogen (and because it is often caught during sex) there are cases of infected people whose severe anxiety disorder causes them to take repeated HIV tests — sometimes 10 or more tests — even though the results are always negative. This irrational behavior of taking repeated HIV tests is likely to due the extreme anxiety state physically precipitated by the virus, which impair judgement and disturbs normal thought processes. Nevertheless, it is wrong to ignore these infected people, as they do have a significant neurological viral infection that biochemically causes severe anxiety, and therefore these people are in a very high state of suffering. Because of the anxiety states caused by this neurological pathogen, and because of the multiple HIV tests that some patients with this pathogen take, doctors in China have dubbed it the "Fear of AIDS Disease". However, although patients test negative for HIV, 40% of the infected patients are found to have low CD4 cell count, as low as 200 CD4 cells per mm3 of blood (normal CD4 counts are in the range of 500 to 1500 cells). These patients also often have a raised CD8 count. The other 60% of infected patients have more-or-less normal CD4 levels. Some of the patients with low CD4 counts see their counts return to normal after a few years. Some people also experience some degree of remission from symptoms after around two years with this pathogen. In all cases, though, this Chinese HIV-like pathogen causes a chronic, persistent infection that does not disappear. Although the Chinese government have tended to deny that this HIV/AIDS-like pathogen exists, many research scientists and doctors in China are aware of this HIV-like disease, and some very good researchers there have no doubts about its reality. However, to an extent, Chinese government censorship prevents these scientists and doctors from voicing their views too loudly. Symptoms of the New Chinese "HIV-Like" Disease Most or all of the following symptoms manifest in susceptible patients who contract the Chinese "HIV-Like" pathogen: General: Continuous low-grade fever and flu-like feeling. Loss of appetite. Ongoing fatigue and weakness, with mental and physical fatigue after exertion. Inability to tolerate alcohol, with one or two drinks causing dizziness and higher inebriation than normal. Throat: Chronic upper respiratory tract infections, chronic severe nasal congestion, nasal cavity infections. Dry mouth. Oral ulcers. Tongue: White tongue coating, often with red spots on the tongue (see images of symptoms). Gums: Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis), gum bleeding, gum hyperemia. Sudden periodontal problems. Teeth may become loose. Skin: Systemic red rash (purpura rash). Peeling skin particularly on palms of hands and soles of feet. Skin on face becomes oily. Skin becomes stiff and loses its elasticity, such that indentations made by finger pressure take a long time (about 5 seconds) to disappear. Subcutaneous nodules (nodular subepidermal fibrosis) may appear. Slow wound healing. Chest: Chronic chest pain. Chest tightness. Shortness of breath. Fast heart rate (tachycardia). Lymph Nodes: Swollen lymph nodes (especially in the lower jaw, and groin), lymph node pain. Eyes: Red bloodshot eyes (conjunctivitis). Eye swelling. Neurological: Dizziness, tinnitus, Vertigo. Loss of hearing. Headache, nausea, drowsiness. Vision may deteriorate. Some patients had an episode of viral meningitis. Psychological Changes: Extreme anxiety, depression, anhedonia, and powerful suicidal ideation. Poor memory, confusion and cognitive dysfunction. Muscles and Peripheral Nerves: Persistent paresthesias. Hands and feet numbness. Constantly twitching muscles (benign fasciculation syndrome). Muscle pain. Joints: Joints make cracking or popping sounds when moved (crepitus is the medical term for this sound). Overall pain and soreness of joints (arthralgias). Joints may become deformed. Organ Damage and Hardening: Systemic organ damage (to liver, gallbladder, kidney, lung, intestine). Visceral organs start to harden (possibly similar to a scleroderma or fibrosis reaction?). Thyroid enlargement (thyroid hypertrophy). Stomach and Intestines: A variety of gastrointestinal tract problems: chronic diarrhea, stomach ache, abdominal pain, belching (due to excess stomach gas), loose stools, melena (dark sticky stools of partly digested blood), blood in stool (mostly transient), mucus in stool. Body Weight: Weight loss in the first 3 months; later there is often extra weight gain on the abdomen (central obesity). Sleep: Poor sleep. Night sweats. Nails: Nail loss. Loss or reduction of the white crescent-shaped area (lunula) at the base of fingernails. Hair: Hair loss on the head as well as on the body. Blood Tests: This "HIV-like" pathogen can cause a decrease of white blood cells. Around 40% of the infected patients have low CD4 cells, as low as 200 CD4 cells per mm3 of blood, and raised CD8 counts. Though 60% of infected patients have normal CD4 levels. CD3 cells in some patients are slightly lower than the reference value. Natural killer cells are normal. Transmission of this "HIV-Like" Virus This HIV/AIDS-like virus in China transmits via saliva, and thus this pathogen can spread easily by kissing. There are reports that this pathogen can also be spread by body sweat. A person infected with this pathogen remains able to infect others for a long period of time. Normal Chinese mealtime custom involves family members sharing food from the same plate with their chopsticks; this may allow saliva from one infected person's mouth to contaminate the food, and then infect other family members. This sharing of food custom may explain why this pathogen is spreading fast in China. Sources for above information: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] |