The first case of a Japanese national becoming infected with HIV Type-2 (HIV-2) has been confirmed by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, ministry officials said.

The man had undergone a blood transfusion while in West Africa, they said.

HIV-2, a rare strain of the HIV virus, is mainly prevalent in West Africa and has a low infectivity rate and a long incubation period before the onset of AIDS. According to the ministry, two foreigners have been diagnosed with the virus in Japan.

The ministry learned in August that the man was admitted to a domestic medical institution suffering from bronchial asthma. Medical tests later revealed that he had HIV-2, but he had already left the hospital by that time because his asthma had improved.

Current domestic preliminary AIDS tests do not differentiate between the widespread HIV-1 and the rarer HIV-2, but it will now become necessary to test for both types separately.

Yomiuri

I bet that guy was pissed.

Why would you get a blood transfusion in Africa? I wouldn't let anything touch me there... needles, girls, etc.

I bet he regrets that decision....

in AFRICA aids and other diseases are very rampant over there and he got a """blood transfusion""" that was stupid

That guy was fu-king retarded.

thats the exact same thing i was thinking

GROSS! STOP IMITATING JAPANESEE AV!

wtf are you talking about?

wow dude calm down.

poor guy. But it takes just one person to start an epidemic. Hopefully, the people who are now aware of their diagnosis will be very wary not to spread it any further and urge others who may have contracted the virus to undergo tests.