PARIS, France (CNN) - French researchers have identified a new human immunodeficiency virus, the first derived from gorillas, a report said Monday.

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/08/03/art.aids.ribbon.gi.jpg caption="A new virus is difficult to detect by tests because it is not closely related to the other three HIV variants."]

The three previous HIV variants came from chimpanzees. The new findings indicate that gorillas, in addition to chimpanzees, are likely sources of HIV, the researchers concluded in a report published in the weekly Nature Medicine journal.

The new virus, called RBF 168, was detected in a 62-year-old woman who moved to Paris from the western Africa nation of Cameroon, the report says. She tested positive for HIV in 2004, and researchers led by Jean-Christophe Plantier identified the virus as being closely related to a recently discovered simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV).

The new gorilla virus "has many of the biological properties necessary for human infection," the report says.

"The human case described here does not seem to be an isolated incident, as before coming to Paris the subject had lived in the semiurban area of Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, and reported no contact with apes or bush meat," the researchers said.

That would indicate that the woman contracted the virus from another human.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you're like millions of parents you rub sunscreen all over your kids before they head out the door.

But experts are saying you might want to wait because a new study says millions of children and teens are not getting enough vitamin D. Seven out of ten, in fact. And there's more.

CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has the report.

September is the earliest lawmakers would be agreeing on health care reform. Doctors are gathering on Capitol Hill today to see if they can influence the outcome. The President's former doctor from Chicago is among them. You might be surprised by whose side he's on. CNN's Jim Acosta met with him and he's not holding back.

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/29/senator.wyden.health.art.jpg
caption="Democratic Senator Ron Wyden is against public health care"]

President Obama is hitting the road again today with his push for health care reform. But on Capitol Hill, the plans are hitting several road blocks. Democrats are divided over rising costs and how to pay the bill.

One Senate democrat from Oregon, Ron Wyden is really catching heat from his own party because he wants to scrap the idea of a government-backed public option. Why?

Senator Wyden spoke with CNN’s John Roberts Wednesday to answer that.

• Watch the full interview

The Blue Dogs will remind you that without them the Democrats would not have a majority in the House.  Now 52 members strong, the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition is threatening to block President Obama's plans for health care reform, unless their demands are met.

They want to "bend the curve," as they call it, of health care costs - something they say the current leading proposals in the House don't do.  When I sat down for a lengthy interview with the Blue Dogs' point man on Health Care, Arkansas Democrat Mike Ross, I was surprised to learn one thing. He's been talking regularly with former President Clinton, who tried and failed to reform health care.

Ross and Clinton go way back.  Not only does Ross represent Hope, Arkansas - the former President's home town.  Ross was also Clinton's legislative assistant decades ago.  He may be standing in the way of current Democratic proposals on health care in the House.  But considering his history with Mr. Clinton, it's hard to see Ross dealing a fatal blow to reform.

• Watch Jim's report »