Baby born with HIV is reported as cured

A baby born with the HIV virus has been cured, scientists reported Sunday.

The Associated Press reports that the child, now 2½, has been off of medication for nearly a year and still does not show any signs of the virus.

Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, who did not work on this case but is familiar with the research, tells the AP, “You could call this about as close to a cure, if not a cure, that we've seen."

The baby in question began receiving more than normal dosage after it was determined that his mother had HIV. Dr. Hannah Gay, pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi, explains, “I just felt like this baby was at higher-than-normal risk, and deserved our best shot.”

According to the report, the baby received three drug infusions just one day after he was born.

New York Times notes that if the baby is in fact cured, the aggressive treatment will be used as a means of assisting other babies who are born infected with the disease; N.Y. Times notes that the means of curing would likely not be effective in adults. This child will be the second recorded person noted as being cured of the virus which can turn into AIDS.

Timothy Brown is the first known person to be cured of HIV.

The test is still creating great skepticism among other doctors and significant research is still being conducted.