The History of HIV

Introduction

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is capable to cause one of the most critical diseases in the world (AIDS). This virus deteriorates the defense mechanism inside the human body; making it vulnerable to every infectious virus that attacks the body. According to contrastive studies, the 100% cure of AIDS is not possible; however, the technological advancements and the augmentation in the scientific research have discovered the drugs that can suppress the infection cycle. These drugs suppress the progress of infected cells; hence, the life span of an individual suffering from HIV increases. Nevertheless, the mortality rate of AIDS is inevitable as the death of the infected person is certain.

In 1981 first situations of a new and mortal infection now renowned as came by immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) described in the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome was first identified in homosexual men, but it was shortly very resolute that the disease that determinants AIDS can disperse during sexual intercourse, body-fluid and body-fluid goods, and from mother to infant during pregnancy, consignment and breast feeding. AIDS initiated by the human immune deficiency virus (HIV). By deactivating or impairing units of the body's immune scheme, HIV gradually decimates the body's proficiency to battle diseases and specific cancers. At the starting of the AIDS pandemic, remedy curbed to analgesic care and administration of opportunistic contagion. However, acquired immune deficiency syndrome nowadays has become a plague for the entire world.

Origin of the Disease

There are several diseases that have passed to the human strains through other species. HIV is one of the infectious diseases that were passed to humans by contamination from other species. There were several names to the HIV prior to 1986. The former names of HIV were lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV), human T-cell leukemia virus III (HTLV-III) or AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV). Since the discovery of AIDS in 1981, there have been several theories about its origin. Many of these theories have been dismissed as they lacked scientific evidence to support the assumptions. The two hypotheses proved correct by the scientific evidence that used to discover the cure for AIDS by contemporary studies. These hypotheses argued that HIV has evolved from the SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) that was transmitted to humans by chimpanzees (Bowker, Soskolne, Houston, Newman, Jhangri, 77).

The first known case of HIV in Africa dates back to 1959. The virus was found in the sample blood stream of a male chimpanzee. According to an empirical study, the HIV introduced to humans from polio vaccines made in Africa during the 50's. According to the scientists who support this theory, the transmission of the HIV into the humans initiated when infected chimpanzee kidneys were used to prepare polio vaccine. Another theory points out that HIV was triggered by vaccines to cure Hepatitis B (HB). These scientific findings assert that the origin of the virus incepted from the chimpanzees as the SIV virus transformed in HIV, in the blood stream of human (Gallo, 89). The HIV is a contagious virus; ...