Albert Schweitzer and SIV

December 1, 2002 9:12 AM

The Hunt for the Origin of AIDS "The notion that AIDS arose from a polio vaccine made with contaminated chimpanzee cells is far from the only theory about how the epidemic started, and it is hotly disputed. The quest for the source of the epidemic is intensifying, as researchers scour the jungle for clues and try to "walk back" the disease genetically with the help of the world's most powerful computers."
posted by the fire you left me (2 comments total)

fire, that article is from two years ago. The idea that HIV arose from contaminated polio vaccine has been thoroughly refuted.
posted by Slithy_Tove at 9:21 AM on December 1, 2002

Meanwhile, the consensus theory that SIV probably evolved into HIV was given a boost this year with the discovery of an SIV-carrier chimp in the wild. Chimps have probably lived with SIV for thousands of years, while HIV only developed when SIV was transmitted to humans in the last century as a result of development and colonial upheaval.
posted by dhartung at 11:56 AM on December 1, 2002