A "new" HIV variant called VB (for virulent subtype B), which seems to have emerged more than 30 years ago, has only recently been confirmed by a team of genetic researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Finland, WebMD reports.

That it has largely flown under the radar may reflect the fact that the VB variant has only been found in 109 HIV-positive patients so far, most of them Dutch. But although not widespread, the concern is that — absent preventive treatment — the variant seems to attack a patient's immune system much more aggressively than more common strains.

Even so, study author Chris Wymant, a senior researcher in statistical genetics and pathogen dynamics with the University of Oxford's Big Data Institute, is adamant that "the public needn't be worried."

For one thing, he noted that while there may be more VB-infected patients than is currently known, the number is "unlikely to be dramatically higher than what we found." The 109 patients already identified arenot, Wymant said, "the tip of the iceberg."

And most critically, existing antiretroviral therapies (ART) remain very effective at keeping the VB variant at bay.

So, the real value of this discovery is to re-emphasize "the importance of [the] guidance that was already in place — that individuals at risk of acquiring HIV have access to regular testing to allow early diagnosis, followed by immediate treatment," Wymant explained.

"This limits the amount of time HIV can damage an individual's immune system and jeopardize their health," he noted. "It also ensures that HIV is suppressed as quickly as possible, which prevents transmission to other individuals."