Where did HIV come from?
1:54 AM
There are many theories about the origin of HIV-1 and HIV-2. The first known case was found in a blood sample collected from man from Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo in 1959. Genetic analysis of this blood suggests that the origin of HIV came from a single strain of HIV-1 in the 1940s or 50s.
In the U.S. the virus is known to have existed since the mid 70s. Symptoms of rare types of what are now known as opportunistic infections began manifesting themselves between 1979-1981.
HIV was first isolated by scientists in 1983. The virus was at first called HTLV-III/LAV (human T-cell lymphotropic virus-type III/lymphadenopathy- associated virus) by an international scientific committee, since it was the 3rd retrovirus found after HTLV-1 and -2. This name was later changed to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
In the U.S. the virus is known to have existed since the mid 70s. Symptoms of rare types of what are now known as opportunistic infections began manifesting themselves between 1979-1981.
HIV was first isolated by scientists in 1983. The virus was at first called HTLV-III/LAV (human T-cell lymphotropic virus-type III/lymphadenopathy- associated virus) by an international scientific committee, since it was the 3rd retrovirus found after HTLV-1 and -2. This name was later changed to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
