Health Highlights: Feb. 16, 2015

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

New, Aggressive HIV Strain in Cuba

A new, highly-aggressive HIV strain has been identified in some patients in Cuba, according to researchers.

They said untreated infection with the CRF19 strain — a combination of HIV subtypes A, D and G — can develop into AIDS within three years, and that progression occurs so quickly that treatment with antiretroviral drugs may come too late, United Press International reported.

People with untreated HIV infection typically develop AIDS within 5 to 10 years.

The CRF19 strain does respond to most antiretroviral drugs, but people with the strain may not realize they have AIDS until it’s too late, according to the study in the journal EBioMedicine.

The CRF19 strain of HIV has been detected in Africa, but there have been too few cases of it to be fully studied. The researchers said the strain is more common in Cuba, UPI reported.

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U.S. Govt. Approves Genetically Modified Apples

Genetically modified apples that are resistant to turning brown when sliced or opened were approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday.

The apples, developed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits of Canada, will be available in small quantities by late 2016. But consumers will probably have to wait at least another year before enough trees are planted to produce significant amounts of the apples, The Des Moines Register reported.

The so-called Arctic apple should prove attractive to restaurants, grocery stores, airlines and other companies that offer pre-sliced fruit, said Okanagan co-founder Neal Carter, The Wall Street Journal reported.

“We really know that getting the consumer to buy in to the product and the technology has to be the priority,” Carter said. The company plans to market two varieties of the apple — the Arctic Granny and the Arctic Golden, new versions of the Granny Smith and Golden Delicious, the Journal reported.

The prospect of such genetically modified foods is not without controversy.

Some apple industry executives worry that biotech apples, while safe to eat, will meet with resistance from some consumers. They’re also concerned that the new apples might hurt exports of apples to countries opposed to genetically modified foods, The New York Times reported.

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