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A patient with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) subtype O was treated with drug QT - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 17 - 2010 - Paper 1
Question 17
A patient with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) subtype O was treated with drug QT. After a few weeks of treatment, all of the HIV in the patient was resistant to ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A patient with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) subtype O was treated with drug QT - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 17 - 2010 - Paper 1
Step 1
C. survival of drug-resistant viruses already in the patient at the time of treatment.
Answer
The development of resistance in HIV to drugs like QT often arises due to the presence of pre-existing viral strains that are already resistant at the time of treatment initiation. These drug-resistant strains can proliferate as the sensitive viruses are eliminated by the drug. This makes option C the most likely explanation for the observed resistance after treatment. It highlights the importance of considering the patient's viral load and the genetic variations present in the HIV population before starting antiretroviral therapy.