Doctors have lifted a cloud of doubt as to whether zinc supplements could be safe and beneficial for children infected with the AIDS virus. A major study published in August showed that zinc supplements can slash incidence of diarrhoea and pneumonia among children in poor countries.But there have also been worries that these supplements could be unsafe for children with the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV thrives on zinc, depending on this element to build its viral structure and penetrate immune cells and reproduce. In addition, the T-lymphocyte immune cells that are specifically targeted by HIV are also activated by zinc.A team led William Moss of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore carried out a trial among 96 HIV-positive South African children aged between six months and five years.
