Transmission of HIV in a Family during 10 Symptomless Years

It has been recognized that a symptom-free period of several years may follow infection with HIV both in adults 1,2, and among vertically-infected children-". The likelihood and efficiency of heterosexual transmission are, however, far from clear4-7• Similarly, reports on the frequency, time, and mode of perinatal transmission yield varying results8,9. Most of the transmission from mother to child seems to occur during pregnancy. Viral transmission through breastfeeding is, however, well documented'P'P. assuming an increased risk for infants of mothers with high viraemia. We report a heterosexual woman who was presumably infected with HIV in 1979 and who, despite regular unprotected sexual encounters with her husband during 1981-1986 while totally symptomless, did not infect him but transmitted the virus to her son either during pregnancy or during prolonged breastfeeding while already symptomatic with AIDS-related complex (ARC), (CDC IVA).

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