More clues on the origin of AIDS

2002/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biologia

The journal Science has published that the immunodeficiency virus of monkeys has been detected for the first time in wild chimpanzees. Although it is suspected that AIDS arose in monkeys, it has not yet been clarified where exactly the disease comes from. In 1999, the presence of six captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) with the immunodeficiency virus of monkeys was detected, a virus very similar to that which attacks humans.

Since then thousands of chimpanzees have been tested, but there have been no more cases. Therefore, it is questioned that these chimpanzees are the deposit of the virus. The same authors of the study have detected the virus in wild chimpanzees. They have studied 58 chimpanzees and have found a single case, but being the first wild case can be important news.