December 6, 2006

an expert in epidemiology comments on HIV and malaria findings as published in Science

The paper reported that dual infection with both HIV and malaria fuels the spread of both diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Geoff Garnett, Professor of Microparasite Epidemiology, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, said:

“This is an interesting synthesis of what we know about malaria and HIV showing the potential of one infection to allow another to establish within a population. We need to be careful in how we use the findings as many other behaviours, infections and environmental factors can similarly influence the diseases. Particularly interesting was the small effect of interventions targeted at dual infections; it appears that interventions targeted broadly at both HIV and malaria are still needed.”