Did HIV exist before the 1800s?

Answer 1

It probably did, but no one knew how to recognize it or diagnose it.

My best answer would be that it probably wont be documented anywhere concretely, so there may be no way to tell if it truly existed.

Many diseases were explained in different ways, and the mortality rate was high, so you never know.

Here is an interesting article.

"CHICAGO (CNN) -- HIV probably originated in the late 1940s or early 1950s, and showed up in people 10 to 20 years earlier than has previously been estimated, researchers said Tuesday.

Dr. David Ho and colleagues from the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York told a conference they traced the very first case of HIV infection to a man living in what was then the Belgian Congo in 1959."


Just read that article. And dont listen to people who try to blame the whole thing on homosexuals. Most of these people arent sure of what they are talking

Answer 2

HIV is a relative new illness, because the virus doesn't need a long time to evolve. HIV is one of the fastest evolving viruses on this planet, duplicating itself at a amazing rate of 30,000 copies per day. The two main types of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2 were transmitted to humans from different sources. HIV-2 originated in sooty magabeys while HIV-1 was transmitted to humans trough chimpanzees. Researchers are able to know this data by reconstructing evolutionary histories using cladrograms or phylogenetic trees. Assays are performed, and then the data is analyzed by a computer by matching similar or related tags. Beatrice Hann and colleagues sequenced the gene that codes for reverse transcriptease in several SIV's and compared them to the sequence of a variety of HIV strains in 1999. The constructed lineage suggest it was passed from these monkeys as they are hunted for food in Africa and because their gene sequences are closely related to humans, that allowed the virus to evolve.

Answer 3

In 1981, homosexual men with symptoms that now are considered diagnostic of AIDS were first described in Los Angeles and New York. The men had an unusual type of lung infection (pneumonia) called Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and rare skin tumors called Kaposi’s sarcoma. The patients were noted to have severe suppression of a specific type of immune blood cells, called CD4 cells. These cells, often referred to as T cells, help the body fight infections. Shortly thereafter, this disease was recognized throughout the United States, Western Europe, and Africa. In 1983, researchers in the United States and France described the virus that causes AIDS, now known as HIV. In 1985, a blood test became available that measures antibodies to HIV, which thereby detects the body’s immune response to the HIV. This blood test remains the best method for diagnosing HIV infection. Recently, tests have become available to look for these same antibodies in the saliva and urine.

Answer 4

yeah....

All these viruses like HIV, Ebola, maburg.... etc existed since long. They were deep inside the forests ( rain forest, african forest, etc... ) they were affecting only other animals. When we started rapid de-forestation and started exploring and expanding our territories, these viruses mutated themselves to suit and survive with new hosts... that is human beings....

Thus we have invited all these troubles....

Answer 5

In human probably not but in the origins of it yes. It came from monkeys. The monkeys are carriers of it some get infected others just are carriers of it.

Answer 6

The thought on that, is that it existed, but only in the animal population... especially the monkey/apes... where it is thought to have originated and have been transferred to humans.

Answer 7

no, it didnt appear until the 1980's.

Answer 8

i don't think it did people ****** like crazy back then. every body would of had it

Answer 9

No

Answer 10

it probably didnt. they werent so sex crazed then.