Where Did Aids Come From?

AIDS is an acronym for the disease called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. More than 24 million people have lost their lives after falling prey to AIDS over last two decades.

The origin of AIDS and HIV has puzzled scientists ever since the illness first came to light in the early 1980s. For over twenty years it has been the subject of fierce debate and the cause of countless arguments, with everything from a promiscuous flight attendant to a suspect vaccine program being blamed. So what is the truth? Just where did AIDS come from?

HIV virus is strongly believed to be originated from Africa around 1940. According to stored records, the first known patient of AIDS disease was from one of the states of Africa in 1959 whose blood was stored in order to find out the possible cause of his death. In tests carried out, the blood is confirmed to contain AIDS virus.

HIV is related to a virus called SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) which is found in primates such as chimpanzees, Macaque and African green monkeys. The virus probably crossed from primates to humans when contaminated animal blood entered cuts on the hands of humans who were butchering SIV-infected animals for food.