Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, which is the body’s natural means of defending against illnesses.

Someone who has untreated HIV will soon have a weakened immune system, and will find it very difficult to fight off diseases and infections.

The virus is most known for being sexually transmitted through semen or vaginal fluids, but it can also be acquired through contact with infected blood.

Some of the initial symptoms of HIV are fever, fatigue, and sore throat. If left untreated, this disease can progress to the much more severe AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

In many parts of the world, HIV and AIDS are considered a taboo, and people who are infected with the disease are alienated from society, which often sends them into depression. However, there have been several treatments developed for HIV and AIDS, and a new, revolutionary method of treatment has just been discovered. In this study, researchers took soil samples from heights of 3,000 to 5,000 meters above sea level, in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

The study focused on actinobacteria, which are keystone species in the planet’s ecosystems, and they are known as an unrivalled source of bio-active compounds.

In this study, researchers found this landscape to be a great repository of actinobacterial “dark matter”. This comprises a majority of the microbes that microbiologists cannot currently cultivate.

The researchers found that 40% of the bacteria in their samples could not be identified, and therefore, had not yet been discovered.

This seed bank alone shows a massive untapped resource for biotechnology programs, which is especially useful for treating diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Additionally, one strain of bacteria found in these samples has been proven to be an inhibitor for an enzyme that allows the HIV virus to reproduce itself.

Thus, thanks to this groundbreaking discovery, people infected with HIV may finally be able to get a simple, fully-effective cure.

Image by Darwin Laganzon from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Image Reference: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/hiv-aids-virus-disease-bloody-1908018/