lpb@stratus.swdc.stratus.com (Len Bucuvalas) (05/09/91)
I have read in some sources, primarily alternative news sources other than Turner, CBS, NBC, ABC, and the Hearst and Drake newspaper/radio chains that, AIDS is a genetic splice of the visna and bovine virus. The resultant product seems to be highly recombinant, seating itself in the spinal fluid. These sources went on to say that, from the spinal fluid, the virus would send out its clones which appear to target the T4 immune cells, smothering them which prevents the T4 from replicating when necessary. The only source that I can think of off the top of my head is the Strekker Institute in Los Angeles. Does the above description contain any validity at all? Thanx in advance, Len
tmb@ai.mit.edu (Thomas M. Breuel) (05/09/91)
In article <1991May8.185152.3329@cs.ucla.edu> lpb@stratus.swdc.stratus.com (Len Bucuvalas) writes:
I have read in some sources, primarily alternative news sources other than
Turner, CBS, NBC, ABC, and the Hearst and Drake newspaper/radio chains
that, AIDS is a genetic splice of the visna and bovine virus.
If you mean "AIDS is derived by purposeful human intervention from
those viruses", that is almost certainly false. There are clear
indications that the HIV virus and its precursors have been around
since before people even knew what DNA was.
Distant relationships of HIV to a number of other viruses are
suspected, and in some cases even known.
The only contribution that people may have made to the creation of the
AIDS virus is that they may have, purposely or accidentally,
transferred viruses from other species to humans, for example, by
eating insufficiently cooked infected animals, by being bitten by
monkeys, or in vaccine studies.Bob.Underdown@p0.f14.n391.z1.fidonet.org (Bob Underdown) (05/13/91)
TMB> The only contribution that people may have made to the creation TMB> of the AIDS virus is that they may have, purposely or accidentally, TMB> transferred viruses from other species to humans, for example, TMB> by eating insufficiently cooked infected animals, by being bitten TMB> by monkeys, or in vaccine studies. If the AIDS virus is that common among monkeys then why isn't the wild areas of Africa completely depopulated? I've read the highest levels of AIDS cases are found in the civilized areas of Africa and the population in the wild areas where these monkeys are found are virtually AIDS free. If the AIDS virus came from the wilderness, logic suggests it would be the other way around...
houdrob@oregon.uoregon.edu (05/13/91)
Modern society has certainly aided the spreading of HIV. It often happens that potent viral and bacterial strains cause epidemics in isolated areas. (I have examples if requested) HIV infection could have remained this way and we wouldn't have had this newsgroup or thousands of broken hearts & bodies. However, with modern technology, it is possible for a disease to get on a plane in Africa and be in North America in a matter of hours. So what might have been an isolated incident has grown into a world wide issue. David Robertson University of Oregon Eugene Oregon