What is AIDS? Virus? Disease? Where did AIDS come from? Social videos on TV and radio scare us with this term and urge us to fight it.
First of all, it is worth understanding that AIDS is a syndrome of acquired (as a result of a disease) immunodeficiency. They are not infected, since this is not some kind of bacterium, but a syndrome. In turn, a syndrome is a combination of any symptoms that occur against the background of a disease, such as HIV. Most often, the creators of commercials on a social topic by this term mean just HIV, that is, the human immunodeficiency virus. For this reason, it would be more correct to ask not “where did AIDS come from?” But “where did HIV come from?” So where did this virus come from?
But since many people most often ask on the forums: “Where did AIDS come from?”, We will probably answer this question.
The first cases of the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were identified among drug addicts and homosexuals. Soon after, it was found that among people with this syndrome, those who have previously received a transfusion of blood or its drugs are often found. And in the early eighties of the 20th century, American scientists R. Gallo and M. Essex were the first to suggest that all cases of impaired immune system function that are not treatable are a consequence of the disease. In their opinion, this disease is caused by a variety of retrovirus, which causes a certain type of leukemia in an infected person.
Studies that were conducted a little later showed that AIDS develops in a person who has previously contracted HIV. This virus infects only one group of cells involved in cellular immunity, T cells. At first, it only violates the functions of these cells, and then completely destroys them. For this reason, the human body becomes defenseless against various microorganisms - protozoa, viruses and fungi. In addition, a significant weakening of the immune system further provokes the development of a wide variety of malignant tumors.
In general, we answered the question of where AIDS came from first. It is clear that the origin of AIDS is due to the human immunodeficiency virus. And it will be wrong to say that HIV is the causative agent of AIDS. This is one of the stages (last or terminal). But where did this virus come from?
There are several theories about its origin:
Theory of Robert Gallo. This scientist believes that the initial carriers of HIV infection were green monkeys living in Africa. At some point, a dangerous retrovirus was able to overcome the interspecific barrier and was transmitted to people. In addition to green monkeys, some other primates, for example, African mangabit and chimpanzee, were also at risk, as antibodies to HIV were detected in their blood. But no one knows where this retrovirus from monkeys came from.
HIV is the mistake of scientists. Some believe that this deadly virus is the result of an unsuccessful experiment, during which scientists in the seventies of the 20th century tried to create a vaccine against hepatitis and polio. It was at this time in the United States that AIDS cases in humans were first reported. By the way, polio and hepatitis vaccines are created from the biological material of chimpanzees. And here one cannot but notice the connection with the previous theory.
HIV - no such disease! There is antiretroviral therapy, which later causes AIDS in humans. It turns out that HIV is just a fairy tale of pharmaceutical companies who want to make more money this way.
HIV is a biological weapon that American scientists created in order to undermine the USSR’s position in the world.