The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has devastated the lives of millions. While left untreated, HIV can develop into acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). There is no definitive answer as to where the virus has originated. The public is unsettled by this, as unlike many other diseases, HIV does not leave the body. There are several strains of the virus, categorizing HIV into 3 distinct groups. As there are different strains, there are also many theories as to where AIDS has originated, such as the CIA creating the virus to target specific populations or that it was created in a lab by accident. With the many theories circulating, one remains constant. The idea that HIV has developed from a similar virus found in chimpanzees is the most logical and well supported theory.
To understand the importance of HIV and AIDS, it is vital to understand what the virus does to the …show more content…
The chimpanzee version of HIV, also known as simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), was “most likely transmitted to humans and mutated the HIV when humans hunted chimpanzees for meat and came in contact with their infected blood” (AIDS.gov). Beginning in West Africa, the virus spread slowly across the continent and later to other parts of the world over the period of decades. The virus was then first formally recognized in the late 1970s in the United States. When HIV-1 was first discovered, nearly 40 different primate species have been found to harbor SIVs. Multiple strands of SIVs have been generally characterized from single species, indicating that a majority of transmissions are instraspecific. As a whole, the primate viruses form a distinct clade within lentiviruses, including HIV-1 and HIV-2 (Bailes 2002). This means that humans most likely acquired the infections from other primates. For many, the science behind this theory is either too simple or not explicit
To understand the importance of HIV and AIDS, it is vital to understand what the virus does to the …show more content…
The chimpanzee version of HIV, also known as simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), was “most likely transmitted to humans and mutated the HIV when humans hunted chimpanzees for meat and came in contact with their infected blood” (AIDS.gov). Beginning in West Africa, the virus spread slowly across the continent and later to other parts of the world over the period of decades. The virus was then first formally recognized in the late 1970s in the United States. When HIV-1 was first discovered, nearly 40 different primate species have been found to harbor SIVs. Multiple strands of SIVs have been generally characterized from single species, indicating that a majority of transmissions are instraspecific. As a whole, the primate viruses form a distinct clade within lentiviruses, including HIV-1 and HIV-2 (Bailes 2002). This means that humans most likely acquired the infections from other primates. For many, the science behind this theory is either too simple or not explicit