An Inexpensive Way to Kill HIV in Breast Milk

Heating a glass jar of breast milk in a pan of water over an open flame inactivates the HIV virus, say University of California researchers.

"We conducted this research to help HIV-positive mothers and their infants who do not have safe alternatives to breastfeeding," said Kiersten Israel-Ballard, a doctoral candidate at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health and lead author of the study. "HIV can be transmitted to the baby via breastfeeding. But for infants in developing countries where infant mortality is already so high from diarrhea and other illnesses, they can't afford to lose the antibodies, other anti-infective agents and the optimal nutrition found in breast milk. This study shows that an easy-to-implement heating method can kill the HIV in breast milk."

HIV in breast milk killed by flash-heating, new study finds [press release]

Image: Angela Sevin