History of HIV

For the first time, doctors met with AIDS patients in 1980 in Atlanta (USA), when five young men (29-36 years old) were in the hospital with a diagnosis of pneumonia. The patients had relationships with men (MSM) and related to injecting drug users (IDUs). By the end of 1981, the presence of AIDS in the World Health Organization (WHO) was reported by 20 States, since 1983 they began to talk about the epidemic, and then about the AIDS pandemic. 1981 is considered the year of the official announcement of the new infectious disease AIDS.

On the question of the time of the appearance of the disease, the opinions of scientists differed. Some believe that AIDS appeared a long time ago, and it "sits" in our cells, and the disease was not diagnosed until recently, others - recently.

Thus, researchers L. Montagnier and R. Galo (1983) were the discoverers of the causative agent of AIDS. In their opinion, the virus could have existed for tens or hundreds of years in isolated populations of people, and, due to small contacts of people during that period, it did not spread widely. Changes in people's living conditions, their intensive migration, the "sexual revolution", drug addiction have created conditions for the widespread spread of the virus.

According to modern researchers, AIDS as a disease could have appeared in the 1950s and 1970s, i.e. this disease is new to humans, which has already arisen in our time. These data are based on the results of the medical documentation of the US Centers for Disease Control for the period from 1950-1986.

The place of appearance of the AIDS virus is also undetermined and is controversial. One group of scientists believes that the virus could have formed in Central Africa, another in the United States, and a third on the island of Haiti.

1. M. Zhdanov is a Russian virologist who supports the African origin of AIDS, but clarifies that the disease existed in ancient historical times. The first appearance of the disease, in his opinion, took place during the slave trade. Most researchers believe that the question of the origin of the AIDS virus has not yet been resolved. There are several versions on this issue. Some researchers are convinced that the virus was acquired by humans from monkeys - African green monkeys, in whom it does not manifest clinically, and with whom a person had contact by eating them. When cutting up the carcasses of monkeys, the hunter could injure his hand, and through this wound bring the virus into the body. Then he could infect everyone who came into sexual contact with him, and the pathogen began to circulate in human society.

However, Japanese scientists deny this version, based on the fact that the virus that causes AIDS in humans and the virus detected in monkeys belong to different families.

Some believe that the AIDS virus is the result of genetic hybridization between animal lentiviruses and oncoviruses.