About one in 200 people with HIV are elite controllers. They keep the virus at undetectable levels without antiretroviral therapy (ARVs). Having an undetectable viral load means there is not enough virus to pass to others.
Scientists, including Thumbi Ndung'u, study these people to find genetic traits and immune features. Research in African populations and a project called the HIV Host Genome project aim to find any distinct genes. Some elite controllers join studies and donate samples to help science.
Difficult words
- elite controller — person who keeps HIV at low viral levelselite controllers
- undetectable — virus amount too low to be measured
- antiretroviral therapy — medicine treatment that stops HIV from growing
- viral load — amount of virus in a person's blood
- genetic trait — a feature that comes from a person's genesgenetic traits
- immune feature — part of the body's defence systemimmune features
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Discussion questions
- Would you join a medical study and donate samples? Why or why not?
- Why are scientists interested in people who keep the virus undetectable?
- How would you explain 'undetectable viral load' to a friend?
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