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A 64-year-old male asked:

This is an educational question.i don't have hiv/aids, nor do i know anyone who does.however, it seems to be unusual in that people can have it for a very long time. are there any other viruses or bacteria that can be chronic other than some heps?

2 doctor answers3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Hunter Handsfield
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Yes, many: There are many chronic viral infections. HIV isn't unusual at all in this regard. A few that come to mine are Ebstein Barr virus (EBV), the cause of infectious mononucleosis; cytomegalovirus (CMV); varicella zoster virus (VZV), the cause of chickepox and shingles; human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV); and probably a hundred others that haven't yet been identifed or named.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr.
A Verified Doctoranswered
A US doctor answeredLearn more
Yes: Along with viruses there are prions like creutzfeldt-jakob disease, most common that can be chronic but less likely a bacteria.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated Aug 2, 2017

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