Medical Questions » AIDS Questions » Question No. 8
| Question: | Where did AIDS come from? I believe it is a divine retribution from God against those who have sinned. What do doctors really known about the history of AIDS? |
| Answer: | The story begins in Central Africa, where it is now believed a mild form of AIDS has existed for centuries. This mild form (known technically at HLTV one) has been isolated from old stored blood samples dated in the 1950s. From Africa, it spread to Haiti in the Caribbean. Haiti was ruled by a vicious dictator (Papa Doc Duvalier), and many Haitians fled to Africa to avoid persecution.
Once ' Papa Doc' and his son ' Baby Doc' were removed from power, these exiles returned, bringing AIDS with them. In the process, it mutated (to HLTV three, now known as HIV) and became more virulent, causing a faster and more severe onset of symptoms. Viruses mutate routinely (eg. different strains of influenza virus every year).
There may also have been some movement of the disease directly through Africa to Algeria and France.
American homosexuals frequented Haiti because it was very poor, and sexual favours could be bought cheaply. They returned home from their holiday with the AIDS virus, and it has spread around the world from there. The first cases were diagnosed in California in 1981.
Fortunately for most of us, it is a relatively hard disease to catch. AIDS can NOT be caught from any casual contact, or from spa baths, kissing, mosquitoes, tears, towels or clothing. Only by homosexual or heterosexual intercourse with a carrier of the disease, or by using contaminated needles or blood from a carrier can the disease be caught.
Many people who are not homosexual, promiscuous or drug addicts have been affected by this dread disease, including a number of of Australia' s haemophiliacs, who depend upon blood products to stop them bleeding excessively. |
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