英國女子因共用修甲器感染艾滋病毒

A 22-year-old woman was diagnosed with HIV after having her nails done using shared manicure equipment.

Doctors say the case, detailed in a medical journal, has revealed a new form of transmission for the virus.

However the researchers warned that transmission through shared manicure equipment is a 'very rare event' and the risks of infection from new sources are still very low.

When diagnosed, the woman was found to have advanced HIV, according to the report in the journal AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.

But she had none of the usual risk factors for acquiring the virus, which is most commonly caught by having sex without a condom.

It can also be passed on by sharing infected needles and other injecting equipment, and from an HIV-positive mother to her child during pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding.

However, the woman did report having shared manicure instruments years before with a cousin who was later found to be HIV-positive.

Blood analysis suggested the woman contracted the virus around ten years ago.

Further genetic analysis of the viruses from both patients suggested it came from a common ancestor, indicating the possibility HIV was transmitted through the manicure instruments.

Dr Brian Foley, of the HIV Sequence Database at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, said the case should not make people scared of contact with people with the virus, as the risk of infection is very low.

He said: 'HIV is not transmitted by casual contact, such as sharing eating utensils, or drinking from the same water glass.

'This transmission of HIV by shared manicure equipment is a very rare event that should serve not to make people fear HIV or contact with HIV-infected people.'

However, the case could promote caution around sharing items which may contain blood, he added.

He said: 'It should make people aware that sharing any utensils with possible blood-blood contact, such as needles used for drugs, tattoos, or acupuncture can result in transmission of viruses such as hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV.

'In addition, there are other common viruses and bacteria that can also be spread by sharing equipment without proper disinfection between users.'

HIV is transmitted from one person to another through bodily fluids including blood, semen, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids and breast milk.

It must enter directly into a person's bloodstream through an injection with a needle or syringe, or come in contact with damaged tissue, or a mucous membrane.

Mucous membranes can be found inside the mouth, the vagina, the opening of the penis, and the rectum.

Dr Michael Brady, Medical Director at Terrence Higgins Trust, echoed that this is a rare case.

He said: 'This is a highly unusual case. It is often very difficult to be certain as to the source of an HIV infection – especially one that happened over a decade ago – and it is hard to imagine how HIV could be caught from manicure equipment.

'In the UK the vast majority of HIV infections are passed on through unprotected sex. I don’t think this single case need change our simple message that the best ways to prevent HIV infection are to use condoms and test regularly for the virus'.英國一名年僅22歲的女性因與他人共用修指甲器而被診斷出感染上艾滋病毒。

醫生表示，這一在醫學雜誌上詳細介紹的案例，揭示了病毒傳播的新形式。

然而，研究人員提醒說，這種通過共用修指甲器而傳染HIV的情況是非常罕見的，而且因新途徑而感染的風險機率也很小。

根據該雜誌的艾滋病研究和人類反轉錄病毒（AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses）的報告顯示，當該女子確診時，她已處於艾滋病晚期了。

這名女性並沒有感染艾滋病的常見高危因素。最常見的感染艾滋病毒的情況是不使用避孕套的性交。

艾滋病毒也會通過共用病毒感染的針頭或其他的注射設備，以及通過HIV陽性的母親在其懷孕，分娩，哺乳期間傳染給她的孩子。

然而，這名女子幾年前與她的表親共用了修指甲器，而後來她的表親被檢測出呈HIV陽性。

血液分析表明該女子大概在十年前已染上艾滋病病毒。

從兩位患者的進一步的病毒基因分析來看，病毒是同一個來源，這暗示了HIV是通過修指甲器傳播的可能性。

就職於洛斯阿拉莫斯國家實驗室（Los Alamos National Laboratory），研究HIV序列數據庫（the HIV Sequence Database）的布萊恩·弗利（Brian Foley）博士表示，此案例不應使人們恐懼與患有艾滋病毒的人進行接觸，因爲感染的機率很小。

他說：“艾滋病不會通過日常接觸傳播，如共用餐具，或用同一個杯子喝水。”

“共用指甲修剪器而傳播艾滋病是非常罕見的事情，因此不應該使人們懼怕HIV或者害怕與感染艾滋病的病人進行接觸。”

然而，他補充說道，通過這件事，當他們共享可能含血液的物品時，人們變得更加謹慎。

他說：“應該讓人們知道共用任何含血液接觸的器具，如用於藥物注射，刺青的針頭，或鍼灸都可能導致丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）和艾滋病病毒的傳播。

“此外，還有一些其他的常見病毒和細菌也能夠通過未經消毒的器具進行傳播。”

艾滋病病毒可通過體液包括血液，精液，直腸液，陰道液和乳汁傳播。

它通過針頭或注射器注射直接進入人體血液之中，或與受損組織或粘膜進行接觸而傳播。

粘膜存在於口腔，陰道，陰莖口，和直腸內。

特倫斯·希金斯信託（Terrence Higgins Trust）的醫務總監邁克爾·布雷迪（Michael Brady）博士也贊同說這是罕見的事例。

他說道：“這是極不尋常的事件。它往往非常難以確定是否爲HIV感染的源頭，尤其是其發生在十多年前，而且也難以想象HIV怎麼會出現在修指甲器上。”

“在英國，大多數的艾滋病病毒是因無保護措施的性行爲傳播的。我認爲我們不需要因爲這個單一事件而改變我們預防艾滋病的最佳方式，即使用避孕套和定期檢測艾滋病毒。”