Take a deep dive into the intricate history of HIV as we navigate through its origins, epidemiological milestones, and contentious debates. Uncover controversial points such as the origins of the virus, early responses to the epidemic, controversies surrounding HIV/AIDS denialism, and the development of antiretroviral therapies. This presentation offers a nuanced perspective on the multifaceted journey of HIV/AIDS, highlighting key controversies that have shaped our understanding and response to this global health crisis.

1. HIV: HISTORY OF DISCOVERING;
MAIN CONTROVERSIAL POINTS
By Sunidhi Singh
IM 534

2. History of HIV
• In the summer of 1981, doctors from New York, San
Francisco And Los Angeles had documentned an
unusual cluster of diseases in young homosexual
male population.
• These diseases, Kaposi sarcoma and pneumocystis
pneumoNia were previously unknown to this
group.
• They all had generalised immunodeficiency

3. History of HIV
• Their bodies were prone to opportunitic infections.
• All subjects were otherwise healthy.
• First known cases Were from Los Angeles, 5
homosexual males were diagnosed with
pneumocystis carini pneumonia.
• 26 homosexual men, from New York and San
Francisco were diagnosed with Kaposi Sarcoma.

4. History of HIV
• In June 1981, CDC (Centre for disease control and
prevention) reported HIV as a distinct disease. It
didn't have a name then.
• Since all of the subjects of this newly identified
disease involved homosexual males, It was
considered that the route of transmission was sex
among gay males.
• The disease was initially termed GRIDS - GAY
RELATED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME

5. History of HIV
• HIV was soon reported in other populations.
• This included:
• IV drugs user females And males
• children born to IV drug using females
• Recipients of blood transfusion
• A large group of population from Haiti.
• It was then hypothesised that the disease
transmission was not only sexual, but blood borne

7. Identifying the Virus
• In, 1982 research was going in USA and France to
identify the virus
• Dr Luc Montagnier, from Pasteur Institute in Paris
called the virus lymphadenopathy associated virus -
LAV
• Dr Robert Gallo from National Cancer Institute
called the virus Human T-cell Lymphotropic virus
type iii - HTLV-III

8. Researchers:
• There were disputes as to who identified the virus
first. Later, credit was jointly given to the French
and American teams in 1983.
• The disease was said to be caused by human
immunodeficiency virus - HIV.

9. Naming of the disease
• The disease was named AIDS - Acquired immune
deficiency syndrome
• When it eventually became clear that the disease
was not only limited to gay men, but affected
different groups of population.
• It replaced the term GRIDS.

10. Who was patient zero?
• The medical literature noted in the late 1950s
found cases similar to the disease now known as
AIDS.
• This led to the identification of a 15 year old African
American male named Robert R.
• Tests conducted on his frozen plasma samples in
mid 1980s revealed HIV antibodies.
• This implied that the virus persisted in human
population Long before it was officially reported in
the first cases in 1980s.

11. HIV And Primates
• After the discovery of AIDS in humans,researchers
reported similar cases in colonies of monkeys.
• The virus was Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)
found in African green monkeys and chimpanzees.
• This virus was found in more than 30 african
primate species and was suspected to be the origin
of HIV in humans.
• There are several theories as to how this virus
crossed with humans.

13. Natural Process Theory
• This theory proposes that the hunters contracted
the virus as early as 1940s when hunting
chimpanzees, and somehow infected themselves
with the SIV infected blood.
• The virus then mutated into HIV and passed along
onto other humans.
• Alternative suggests that marketing and selling of
primate bushmeat in some parts of Africa played
the part. The consumption of meat could have led
to infection.

14. Polio vaccine theory:
• Polio vaccine CHAT, developed in Congo and
Rwanda in 1950s was said to be produced using the
kidney cells of Chimpanzees.
• The theory is that the vaccine was produced in
chimp cells infected with SIV, which later led to the
spread of HIV in humans.
• This theory was disproved when the vaccine
samples were analysed and no traces of SIV and
HIV were found.