34
years ago, the virus HIV was identified. Since its discovery, 78 million people
have been infected and 39 million have died. Due to the devastation of this
virus, scientists have been investigating this diseases origins. It has recently
discovered that this virus didn’t make a single leap from animals, but several
leaps. In 13 separate occasions the virus originated in humans from infected
monkeys, chimpanzees and gorillas.
The first clue about the origins of HIV
emerged in 1985, when scientists discovered that macaque monkeys had a virus
closely related to HIV. It happens that 40 primate species harbor HIV or HIV
like viruses. There are 2 strains of HIV virus. The most common HIV-1 is world-wide,
the second HIV-2 is near western Africa. Michael Worobey, a professor at the
University of Arizona who wasn’t involved in the study stated, “We’ve got an
amazing amount of the story nailed down, more than any reasonable person could
have expected in the 1980s.”
This article went into detail explaining the
differences between both strands of the HIV virus. The discovery of the exact
origin of this virus is a great accomplishment. Knowing the origins is one step
closer to finding a cure or vaccine in order to eliminate this virus.
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