OT: American Man "Cured" of AIDS

[Ehwmatt]

I thought that flight attendants may have been involved too from what I remember of the older research? I know people first blamed the homosexual community for its spread but I don't think people realize how much quicker it has spread through the heterosexual community. The homosexual community actually declined quite a bit in its spread, while the heterosexual numbers continue to rise. I don't know if that has changed dramatically now or not though, with people finding out that there are drugs that can prolong your life. I think some people knowing they have meds, they may take more chances. I have to take a continuing ed course every 2 years on HIV for my med tech license, and as I'm sure many other medical people do also. It is interesting yet kind of scary too, to see the statistics changing as time goes on. But then there are scarier viruses out there than HIV. I hope they never make it here but I don't see how they won't eventually.

I sure hope no one rationalizes the cost-benefit rewards of risky behavior like that. Damn. I can't imagine getting diagnosed with HIV.

[RossValoryRocks]

Although it pains me to say it Rhi, I agree with Stu. I don't believe that the HIV virus has its origins in the United States.

Check my response to him above. I may have been misinformed by a professor... though she did spend part of her career trying to eradicate the virus and treat victims in 3rd world countries, so I was just apt to believe her. We might not be the original origin, in fact, I know we aren't...

Maybe I have my timeline wrong... chimps --> humans via vaccine --> to Africa via missionaries.

That might be more clear cut. Either way, I'm saying she said we took it (inadvertently) to Africa.

The virus crossed the species barrier from Chimps to humans because of the bush meat trade.

Through DNA sequencing the have determined it happened approximated 100 or so years ago. However until the late 70's the number of infections was low enough that it flew under the radar.

Not to knock your Proff, but thing have come to light much more recently than 5 years ago and the vaccine-HIV connection was conclusively DISPROVEN (The argument is that the polio virus was incubated in green monkey kidneys which were also positive for HIV and this contaminated the polio vaccines we sent).

How did the number of infections explode like they did?

Actually most HIV infections are spread via heterosexual contact in africa. It was merchant sailors that were first infected and brought it to the US.

I thought that flight attendants may have been involved too from what I remember of the older research? I know people first blamed the homosexual community for its spread but I don't think people realize how much quicker it has spread through the heterosexual community. The homosexual community actually declined quite a bit in its spread, while the heterosexual numbers continue to rise. I don't know if that has changed dramatically now or not though, with people finding out that there are drugs that can prolong your life. I think some people knowing they have meds, they may take more chances. I have to take a continuing ed course every 2 years on HIV for my med tech license, and as I'm sure many other medical people do also. It is interesting yet kind of scary too, to see the statistics changing as time goes on. But then there are scarier viruses out there than HIV. I hope they never make it here but I don't see how they won't eventually.

It was actually a male flight attendent, from France or Belgium, that had frequented male hookers in Africa that was considered Case 0, but there are new discoveries from the 50's and earlier that now point to the virus having been around for many many years.

[StevePerryHair]

It was actually a male flight attendent, from France or Belgium, that had frequented male hookers in Africa that was considered Case 0, but there are new discoveries from the 50's and earlier that now point to the virus having been around for many many years.

That's what it was!! And yeah, I have no doubt it's been around for a lot of years, it just took a long time to get the numbers we have now. There were many who died because of broken down immune systems but they didn't have the technology to know why in those days. As testing gets better, so does discovery and diagnosis.

[StevePerryHair]

I thought that flight attendants may have been involved too from what I remember of the older research? I know people first blamed the homosexual community for its spread but I don't think people realize how much quicker it has spread through the heterosexual community. The homosexual community actually declined quite a bit in its spread, while the heterosexual numbers continue to rise. I don't know if that has changed dramatically now or not though, with people finding out that there are drugs that can prolong your life. I think some people knowing they have meds, they may take more chances. I have to take a continuing ed course every 2 years on HIV for my med tech license, and as I'm sure many other medical people do also. It is interesting yet kind of scary too, to see the statistics changing as time goes on. But then there are scarier viruses out there than HIV. I hope they never make it here but I don't see how they won't eventually.

I sure hope no one rationalizes the cost-benefit rewards of risky behavior like that. Damn. I can't imagine getting diagnosed with HIV.

Well, there was a decline in cases, as education increased, but then numbers are rising again. It's either the fact that the education for it is lacking again, since you really don't see it on the news like you did in the 80's, or it's because people see people living lives on meds and take the chance with sexual partners. I mean remember when Magic Johnson was diagnosed? He's still alive thanks to meds. It was a death sentence and now some people may see it as something you can live with. I am talking about countries like the US. In places like Africa, it is spreading for completely different reasons. Mainly cultural.