HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS

AIDS was first recognized as a new and distinct clinical entity in 1981. The first cases were recognized because of an unusual clustering of diseases such as Kaposi’s sarcoma and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in young homosexual men. Although such syndromes had occasionally been observed of Mediterranean origin in the case of Kaposi’s sarcoma, severely impaired cancer patients in the case of P.Carinii pneumonia, the occurrence of these diseases in previously healthy young people was unprecedented. Because most of the firs cases of this newly defined clinical syndrome to be descriHIVbed involved homosexual men, it seemed logical at first that the cause of this syndrome could be related to a lifestyle habit unique to that population.

Epidsituation Etiopathogenesis Ways of Transmission Prevention Clinical Spectrum Diagnostic Treatment Legislation Palliative Care Important Dates

At the same time, Gallo and his colleagues, and Montagnier and his colleagues postulated that a variant T-lymphotropic retrovirus could be the etiologic agent of AIDS. Among the most compelling reasons for this hypothesis was that this virus, discovered by Gallo and his colleagues in 1980 , was the only human virus known to infect T-helper lymphocytes. HIV was also known to be transmitted sexual contacts, with transmission apparently more HIVefficient from males; by blood; and by transmission from mothers to newborns.

HIV was detected in the blood of population in Zaire, Uganda, and other African countries. The blood in frozen form was kept at blood banks of Europe.

According to the hypothesis, HIV as a biological weapon had been artificially created in the military laboratories of USA . This version was very popular among officials of Former Soviet Union. Nowadays the version is completely disclaimed.