A second agent?

In June 1990, the Sixth International Conference on AIDS was held in San Francisco. Luc Montagnier, discoverer of the AIDS virus, announced the isolation of a second infectious agent which he believes is associated with the development of AIDS. Montagnier claims that a mycoplasma may be involved in facilitating the growth of the AIDS virus, human deficiency virus (HIV), and enhancing the cell-killing properties of HIV. Mycoplasma, sometimes called pleuropneumonia-like organisms, are ubiquitous tiny bacteria, often found in the respiratory tract. As a result, many researchers have found experiments to be contaminated with mycoplasma from the laboratory staff. Therefore, any claim of connection of mycoplasma to AIDS, or any other disease, is likely to meet with skepticism. Although Montagnier's announcement has been met with skepticism, he stands by his claim and denies that laboratory contamination was the source of the mycoplasma in his experiments. However, he admits that demonstrating a specific relationship between the AIDS virus and mycoplasma has not yet been accomplished. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)