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Study: HIV began about 80-100 years ago
Led by University of Arizona Assistant Professor Michael Worobey, the researchers discovered the world's second-oldest genetic sequence of a strain of HIV known as HIV-1 group M. The sequence was recovered from a lymph-node tissue biopsy taken in 1960 from a woman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The oldest known HIV-1 group M genetic sequence is from a 1959 blood sample of a man also from central Africa. The scientists said a comparison of the 1959 virus and the 1960 virus led them to conclude the genetic divergence between the HIV sequences required more than 40 years.
The researchers said they also used other HIV-1 genetic sequences to estimate probable rates of the evolution of the HIV-1 group M strain. According to their calculations, HIV began spreading among humans between 1884 and 1924 -- about the same time large urban population centers were being established in west-central Africa.
That, said the scientists, is also the region where the HIV-1 group M strain is thought to have emerged.
The study appears in the journal Nature.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
This news arrived on: 10/08/2008
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Posted Comments:
10-12-2008 02:51
Rogers wrote:
Questions ?
Im not a scientist but knowing that there was chance of spreadng the desease Why were they allowed to bring the serums etc back into the USA and allow it to be released knowing it had already killed in other parts of the world. Why bring it into this country. whynot keep it where it was until more knowledge was gained. This was not very SMART knowing what could happen?
10-12-2008 02:50
Rogers wrote:
Questions ?
Im not a scientist but knowing that there was chance of spreadng the desease Why were they allowed to bring the serums etc back into the USA and allow it to be released knowing it had already killed in other parts of the world. Why bring it into this country. whynot keep it where it was until more knowledge was gained. This was not very SMART knowing what could happen?
10-11-2008 00:56
Peter wrote:
hiv
Jason says "a certain Pharmaceutical Company", sounds to me like he is aware of the identity of said company !
Come Jason, name them and shame them and let them pay for what they did! or, did you suck this information out of your thumb ?
Come Jason, name them and shame them and let them pay for what they did! or, did you suck this information out of your thumb ?
10-10-2008 13:54
Jason wrote:
HIV
A type of HIV was known to be in some Monkeys but it had never made the transition to humans until a certain Pharmaceutical company tested their Polio Vaccine on Africans and apparently used extracts from Monkeys pituitary glands as part of the medium.
The virus did the rest as history shows.
The virus did the rest as history shows.
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