# AIDS and long-term infection

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-and-long-term-infection/243466>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 4, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-and-long-term-infection/243466 "2004-05-04T14:33:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-and-long-term-infection/243466/1 "2004-05-04T14:33:36Z")

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The discussion about the origin of AIDS made me start thinking about those people who have survived HIV infection for very long periods of time. I understand that, for instance, some prostitutes in Kinshasa appear to have had the infection for a far longer period than most people and yet never developed symptoms. I’ve also heard about similar cases in the Western world.

What are these groups called, and since the last time I heard about this was a few years ago, did these folks just end up being people who took an especially long time to become symptomatic?

Any info on why certain people manage to be infected without developing AIDS?

Thanks kindly.

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**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-and-long-term-infection/243466/2 "2004-05-04T15:12:44Z")

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> [@Excalibre](#):
>
> Any info on why certain people manage to be infected without developing AIDS?

I might be a little out of line in replying here, because I can’t actually provide an answer to the OP, but I think it is worth noting that viruses are famous for being able to remain dormant in some hosts. Even the humble chicken pox virus can, after infection, remain in nerve cells for many years only to pop up again as Shingles (no fun). A couple of the big mysteries in the medical world are: [ul]  
[li]Why do some viruses go dormant in some people?[/li][li]What causes them to spring into action later?[/li][/ul]

RR

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**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-and-long-term-infection/243466/3 "2004-05-04T18:09:41Z")

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> [@Excalibre](#):
>
> Any info on why certain people manage to be infected without developing AIDS?

You figure that out, and your Nobel Prize nomination packet will be arriving in your mail shortly.

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**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aids-and-long-term-infection/243466/4 "2004-05-04T22:25:05Z")

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I don’t know what the date on this [cite](http://www.accessexcellence.org/WN/SUA04/natural_immunity_HIV.html) is but it discusses several groups of people who are apparently naturally immune to HIV.

> [@](#):
>
> Immunological studies of the sera of the prostitutes showed that the women were generating highly specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses to both HIV-1 and HIV-2 peptides. The researchers were able to exclude the possibility that the women had been exposed but had not yet developed antibodies to HIV by using both culture and [polymerase chain reaction] repeatedly over three month period.