Nov. 13 (Bloomberg) -- A British man with HIV who later tested negatively for the disease is being urged to come forward for more tests that may help shed light on an illness that has led to the deaths of more than 20 million people since 1981.

Andrew Stimpson, 25, was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 2002, and was later found to be clear of the infection when tested in 2003, the News of the World reported today, citing an interview. Stimpson considered suing the hospital that carried out the tests until checks showed there had been no mix-up in the results, the newspaper said.

A spokeswoman for London's Chelsea & Westminster hospital, which carried out the tests, said she couldn't say if Stimpson had been cured or not, and urged him to come forward for further tests. She confirmed he had sought to sue the trust, and that the tests, which both had his DNA in them, were accurate.

``I feel truly special and lucky,'' Stimpson said in the News of the World interview. ``I have no idea how I got rid of the virus. I was just taking daily supplements to keep myself as healthy as possible.''

There is no known cure for HIV infection. Suppressing replication of the virus for as long as possible helps delay its progression into AIDS, which has killed more than 20 million people since the first case was diagnosed in 1981. As the virus that causes AIDS mutates quickly, developing resistance to drugs, it is usually treated with a cocktail of medications.

Stimpson didn't take medication for HIV, because he was in the early stages of the disease, the newspaper said. He says he will offer himself for medical tests to find out how he apparently shook off the virus, the newspaper reported.

``If Andrew has been cleared of the virus, that needs to be investigated thoroughly to see if it can be reproduced in any way,'' the News of the World quoted Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terence Higgins Trust, a London-based charity, as saying. ``This could be of major interest to HIV researchers.''

To contact the reporters on this story: Edward Evans at eevans3@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 13, 2005 09:14 EST