Dr. Jay A. Levy, co-discoverer of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), spoke to a packed auditorium Wednesday morning to present research on a protein produced by certain white blood cells that can interrupt the transmission of HIV.
Levy outlined the state of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic at the second annual meeting of the Florida Center for AIDS Research held at the Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy Building on the UF campus.
Levy's lecture, titled "The Global Threat of HIV/AIDS: How Science Faces the Challenge," was part of UF's Distinguished Professor Series.
Currently, more than 33 million people are infected with the disease, and the total death toll has climbed to 25 million, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The virus infects one person every six seconds, kills one every nine seconds and orphans a child every 14 seconds, Levy said.
"When HIV hit, we began working on it, and the rest is history," he said.
After 20 years of research, Levy and his team are getting closer to finding out what the virus is, especially after successfully suppressing HIV replication using CD8+ cells.
Strategies exist to stop the spread of the disease, including the distribution of condoms and diaphragms, advocating male circumcision and increased health care funding for vaccines and treatment in areas widely effected by the pandemic.
Levy ended his speech by encouraging UF to form a research program in the Caribbean to address the high percentage of infections there.
"If we don't do anything in the next 20 years with HIV/AIDS, 2 percent of all deaths worldwide will be from this virus," Levy said.
