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When an initialism refers to an organization, the definite article generally precedes it. For example:
However, when the initialism refers to a substance, method or condition, the definite article is not required:
Since the initialisms HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and WNV (West Nile virus) both refer to medical conditions, the definite article is not needed:
But:
In the last example, the definite article is necessary because it refers to the noun population rather than the initialism.
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