Probiotic May Block HIV from Breast Milk
Tue 25 May, 2004 21:51
By Karla Gale
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)
"Lactobacillus, a benign gut microbe that helps prevent more serious infections such as diarrhea in children, could become a weapon in the war on AIDS. Colonizing an infant's digestive tract with the so-called 'probiotic' may protect them from being infected with HIV present in breast milk, according to a report at the American Society for Microbiology general meeting in New Orleans. With the success of treating HIV-infected mothers before delivery to prevent transmission of the virus to the baby, breast-feeding is now the major route by which infants do become infected in Africa..."