“To end the HIV pandemic, we must continue to outthink this virus”

Mary Rodgers, virus hunter, Principal Scientist and Head,Abbott Global Surveillance Center explains to Viveka Roychowdhury the importance of tracking virus mutations in HIV and viral hepatitis across the world to update their diagnostic tests

- Viveka Roychowdhury

Abbott's 20-year-old Global Surveillance Programme is the basis of the company's diagnostics research program leading to commercial diagnostic test products. What is the significance of your team's recent discovery of a new strain of HIV called HIV-1 Group M, subtype L?

It has been 25 years since we established the Abbott Viral Surveillance Program to monitor HIV and hepatitis viruses globally to track mutations to help make sure our diagnostic tests remain up to date. The discovery of a new strain of HIV called HIV-1 Group M, subtype L by our team marks the first time a new subtype of HIV-1 has been identified in 19 years – since guidelines for classifying new strains of HIV were established.

This new strain is a part of the major group of HIV (Group M), which is responsible for 90 per cent of the pandemic and has been traced back to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The new strain discovery helps researchers and healthcare providers stay one step ahead of mutating viruses and avoiding new HIV outbreaks. Since we live in a global village, we can’t think of viruses being contained to one location. This discovery reminds us that to end the HIV pandemic, we must continue to outthink this virus and use the latest advancements in technology and resources to understand its full scope.

What are the other disease areas tracked by Abbott's Global Surveillance Programme?