Superstrain of HIV found in N.Y.

NEW YORK — A previously unknown superstrain of the virus that causes AIDS has been diagnosed in New York, sparking fears among health officials and the gay community.

So far only one case has been found in the world — a New York man in his mid-40s who had unprotected sex with multiple men in October.

City and federal experts believe it is the first time this mutated strain of HIV has been reported anywhere.

It is virtually drug-resistant and progresses in a matter of months from HIV infection to full-blown AIDS, a process that normally takes 10 or more years. In this man's case it took only two months.

"I've been living with HIV since 1981, and I was dreading this day, because I knew this day would come when multidrug-resistant strains of the virus would begin to enter into the community," said Dennis de Leon, president of the Latino Commission on AIDS.

The virus is known technically as a strain of three-class anti-retroviral-resistant HIV, or 3-DCR HIV. Simply put, that means it is resistant to three of the four classes of drugs used to treat HIV.

Usually a cocktail of drugs from the four classes is needed to keep the virus in check.

Those most vulnerable to the virus would be gays and intravenous drug users who share needles. But it could easily spread to the heterosexual community.

"Potentially, no one is immune," New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said.

The new superstrain virus can turn into AIDS in two to 20 months, Frieden said.

The man diagnosed with the virus, who is not being identified by officials, has AIDS and his prognosis is bleak.

An intense investigation is under way to locate his sex partners to track the source of the virus and stem its possible spread.

The infected man had repeatedly tested negative for HIV over the past decade, including as late as May 2003.

Last October he was involved in "multiple episodes with multiple partners" of unprotected sex while binging on crystal methamphetamine, a popular party drug known as the poor man's cocaine, Frieden said.

In December the man developed flulike symptoms and his doctor diagnosed HIV. Further tests by the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in Manhattan turned up the superstrain virus.

Jay Dobkin, medical director of the AIDS Center at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, said: