The worst viruses in the world seem to appear out of nowhere and spread like wildfire, infecting hundreds of thousands of people before researchers can even get a toehold on what it is that is killing people. Viruses are not alive, but saying they are makes it seem like it is possible to stop them. They do not rely on any energy or food source, and only need living cells to thrive and reproduce, therefore anything that can kill a virus also has to kill the host, which is what makes them frightening. HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a virus that had a massive outbreak in America in the early 1980s, and has since killed up to 37 million people that have progressed to the final stage, or AIDS. (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) HIV …show more content…
After further research, they found that the chimps ate two smaller species of monkeys that had two different strains of SIV, allowing the virus to transmit into the chimps. Because the smaller monkeys were infected with two different strains of SIV, it was inevitable that the chimps would be infected with both kinds, and in some cases even developed mutated versions of the two combined. When these strains mutated, they became capable to infect humans, and this mutation became known as HIV. Humans in the area that the infected chimps lived in hunted the chimps for food, and so HIV was brought into the human population. In most cases, the infected human’s immune system fought off HIV, but sometimes it stayed and became a parasite in the new host, making this host HIV-1. More than one HIV-1 people exist because more than one person contracted it from the monkeys, and so the strain in each HIV-1 was different. HIV is classified into four substrains; M, N, O, and P. Strain M is the responsible for most AIDS deaths. (Origin story from www.avert.org) Right now, 36.7 million people globally are living with HIV, (www.aids.gov) and 2.1 in 100,000 people will die from AIDS. (www.cdc.gov) In The Hot Zone, the Ebola origins are said to be in either fruit bats or primates at a cave in Africa known as Kitum Cave. In 1976, the poor man, Monet, went into that cave and inevitably contracted it, starting an outbreak to be followed by countless more. However, though it would be easier to just assume that we could follow the trail of that outbreak, that is not the case. That was just the outbreak of one out of 5 Ebola strains known as Ebola Zaire, the most deadly out of the filovirus strains with a 90% fatality rate. (www.who.int) A completely different outbreak began also in 1976 in Sudan when a hospital transmitted the disease from one infected patient to many
This history of HIV/AIDS as a blurry timeline before the 1980’s since that was around the time reports came in which eventually become an HIV report. The origin of HIV can be traced back to the early part of the century. Some believe that in the 1920’s chimpanzees from the Congo came into contact with humans (Avert, 2016). Though reports were not identified as HIV until the 1980’s, the belief that HIV was already scattered throughout four other continents may have been incident (Avert, 2016). Even though for the past 30 years the world has been diligently working to find a cure and pushing prevention, we are still struggling each year with increasing diagnosis. The beginning of HIV did end with lots of death, but now with our improved antiviral medication there is hope for many.
When a chimpanzee has the virus it is called SIV. A chimpanzee can live safely and unharmed with SIV for a lifetime. Unfortunately the transmission and mutation of the virus likely came from the blood into a cut or consumption of the chimpanzee. The virus then would be passed from human to human through blood, sex, and even breast milk. HIV was discovered in West Africa in 1983 and was shown to bring the carriers life to an end within nine to eleven years after contracting the virus.
It is believed that the first case of HIV/AIDs was first recorded somewhere in West Africa somewhere in the beginning of the twentieth century. Since then, it has spread across central Africa, undetected for a long time. But the question that has bewildered many, is how HIV spread in the first place. According to “Natural Transfer Theory”, HIV was spread to humans through chimpanzees. “Africans have been killing and eating monkey for at least fifty thousand years” (43). It was common for small African communities to hunt and eat chimpanzees. Chimpanzees were said to have “SIVs, simian immunodeficiency viruses that closely resembles HIV” (41). The virus is said to have spread to humans through these infected chimpanzees. The blood of these chimpanzees could have
This “simian” or monkey pathogen then developed and evolved into the present day contagion called aids. Transfers of human bodily fluids, sex, and the reusing of infected needles spread aids. This Disease weakens the immune system, with the possibility of death. It affects people by them having intercourse with infected people, and by the sharing of needles. It is not contagious like the Black Death but is still deadly. 3 million people died last year by aids. Aids are a serious thing, as minor ailments can kill you. In the year of twenty fourteen, there was a study that showed that 36.9 million people had aids, and one and a half million died of it.
AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is defined by the Mayo Clinic as "A chronic, potentially life-threatening condition which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV damages the immune system, and interferes with the ability the body has to fight the disease causing organism" (Mayo Clinic, 2014). HIV is an infection transmitted sexually. Another mode of transmission for HIV is by exposure to infected blood, or it could also be transmitted from the mother to the unborn child during the course of pregnancy, at childbirth or through breastfeeding. It may take several years for the HIV virus to weaken the immune system
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It can lead to immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS. It is caused by the HIV entering the uninfected body and stats to destroy CD4+cells which are there to help the body fight infection and disease (Webmd.com, 2014). Once you have HIV, you have it for life. More than 1.1 million people in United States alone are living with HIV and 1 out of 6 font even know it. About 50,000 people are infected with HIV each year (Cdc.gov, 2014). It is more commonly see in the gay community particularly young black males. In 2011 an estimated that 15,529 people had died. (Aids.gov, 2014)
As previously stated HIV is a lent virus that attacks the immune system. In comparison SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) attacks the immune system of monkeys. So the question is: Did HIV in fact come from monkeys? A strain of SIV (called SIVcpz) was found in a chimpanzee upon research in 1999. This strain can infect humans and also be passed on from chimpanzee to chimpanzee. In conclusion the most reasonable transferring theory is based off of hunting. The SIV was transferred to humans as a result of the chimps infected blood and them be eaten. Then the virus migrated and transformed in what we know today as
Unlike the plague, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is species specific and has puzzled many scientist about the possibility of overcoming its harsh implications. This mean that HIV can be found only within a particular species and, in this case, this virus tends to attack the human race. Many blame that the very existence of AIDS emerged from gay people or relations with animals, but it’s believed that transmission of this virus originated from a close derivative of HIV, SIV. SIV in known as Simian Immunodeficiency Virus which the Monkey virus that is equivalent to HIV. It has been known that the development of AIDS started with the transmission of SIV to humans via being bitten by a primates or the consumption of a primate who is infected
HIV and AIDS have affected millions of people throughout the world. Since 1981, there have been 25 million deaths due to AIDS involving men, women, and children. Presently there are 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS around the world and two million die each year from AIDS related illnesses. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one-third of the one million Americans living with HIV are not aware that they have it. The earliest known case of HIV was in 1959. It was discovered in a blood sample from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Looking further into the genetics of this blood sample researchers suggested that it had originated from a virus going back to the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. In 1999,
In this comprehensive research work are topics that discuss and analyze the issues under the umbrella of the HIV virus / AIDS and the epidemic. Begins with research the review of the global response to the epidemic of HIV / AIDS, together with the response of the United States, moved to the spread of the virus and the response of the health services and insurance communities and concludes with the emotional reactions and relations with suicide. It provides a complete, comprehensive and complete understanding of the disease and the impact that has had on the world.
Viruses have the capabilities and functionalities of a living organism, therefore they are living. Like all other living organisms, viruses are made of DNA and RNA, the simple building blocks of life. Living things can’t function without DNA because they wouldn’t be able to grow or reproduce. Viruses can also reproduce and have a functional/life span, both of which are necessities of life and are needed to create new life. A virus’s ability to function in this way gives it the characteristics of a living organism. Although, viruses need a host they should still be considered living, due to the fact that many living things need a host. Parasites, ticks, and mosquitoes are considered living even though they need a host to survive as well. Human
To start, Ebola and HIV are both zoonotic RNA viruses that underwent evolution and mutation to emerge from the jungle and morph into the deadly diseases they are today. It is thought that Ebola originated in Africa fruit bats, and was transmitted to humans for the first time through contact with bodily fluids from the bats, either as blood or saliva. Transmission to humans most often occurs through hunting and preparation of infected bushmeat, or consumption of fruit contaminated with bat saliva. This was made possible because of human encroachment on natural areas and bat habitats (Alexander, 2015). Once present in the human population more hosts allowed for extensive mutation. This is because RNA viruses use RNA
The major cell category that is infected is the Lymphoreticular system or the mononuclear system. This is a part of the Human body’s immune system. The cells in this part are called phagocytic cells they are a form of reticular connective tissue. This tissue is located in the spleen and the liver. This infection can only be sexually transmitted at any point in its manifestation. It could be at the AIDS stage or HIV stage. It can also be transmitted through DIRECT blood contact. No matter what way the Virus enters your body it will still gain the same affect.
An Analysis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Introduction In 1983, scientists led by Luc Montagnier at the Pasteur institute in France, first discovered the virus that causes AIDS. They called it lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV). A year later, Robert Gallo and Marvin Reitz of the United States, confirmed the discovery of the virus and they named it human T lymphotrphic virus type III (HTL V-III).
The emergence of drug-resistant strains of human immunodeficiency virus( HIV) and treatment failure can result from non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). (Michel Morin;2000)