AIDS Virus Now Estimated To Be 100 Years Old 316
ChazeFroy writes "A new study estimates that the AIDS virus, HIV, started to circulate in the human population between 1884 and 1924, with a more focused estimate at 1908. This is much earlier than the previously-held estimate of 1930. 'The new result is "not a monumental shift, but it means the virus was circulating under our radar even longer than we knew," says Michael Worobey of the University of Arizona, an author of the new work.' The article also speculates that HIV first began to spread in Kinshasa, Congo."
Re:What new diseases have crossed over recently? (Score:4, Informative)
"Genetic analysis" (Score:1, Informative)
Experts say it's no surprise that HIV circulated in humans for about 70 years before being recognized. An infection usually takes years to produce obvious symptoms, a lag that can mask the role of the virus, and it would have infected relatively few Africans early in its spread, they said.
Also AIDS itself only attacks the immune system, so death caused by secondary infections. And since the immune system depends on the general health of a person I would guess that with the progress in the last 100 years an infected person lived longer and longer, getting more time to spread the virus. Add to that the mentioned rise of cities and you have the long time lag between the first human infection and the worldwide spread.
Re:Wait, read much? (Score:5, Informative)
You might have quoted Sections C and D which are referenced:
Hardly "just about anytime it wants". So what else did you cherry pick from your other cites?
Re:Not knowing it's there doesn't mean it isn't. (Score:2, Informative)
First electron microscopes to observe virions: 1930's (same source).
Hence it is entirely possible that HIV related deaths simply went unnoticed, plus the possibility that it was largely confined to the areas where humans had been in contact with apes and thus could become infected with the virus that was able to jump species (which would be a very rare event on its own anyway)