AIDS 1981

In 1981 a new virus had been reported by the center of disease control on June 5th. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome also known as AIDS claimed its first recognized victim in New York City, his name was Nick Rock. At the time not much was known about AIDS besides that fact that it destroys the immune system allowing secondary illnesses to take advantage of the bodies weaknesses. A common sickness found in those that had AIDS was pneumocystis jiroveci which happened to be found in many homosexual men. Because of the relation with homosexual men AIDS had originally been called GRID, gay related immune deficiency. Eventually scientist came to realize that about half of the men with GRID were not homosexual and that is when the virus acquired the name AIDS. Further research led doctors to see that AIDS existed before 1981. A blood smear confirmed that a Bantu man in Belgian, Congo died in 1959 of what was thought of as an unknown illness but the antibodies of the AIDS virus was found in his blood. Mysteries of AIDS triggered more research to find where this virus originated. The earlier stage of AIDS is HIV, human immunodeficiency virus. This virus contains microbes which are capable of moving form on species to another. It is hypothesized that chimpanzees are the culprit for introducing HIV to the human race. AIDS was monitored closely by the CDC as they watched and increase of men, women, and babies with destroyed immune systems. In 1982 not only did America have the growing problem of AIDS. Fourteen other countries had confirmed cases as well. Another issue was the transmission of the disease amongst blood transfusions as well as children who were being born to mothers with HIV. Even though in 1985 donated blood was being scanned for HIV there were forty one false negatives, unfortunately ultimately giving the recipient of the blood HIV. The awareness of HIV increased amongst the public with several published articles by the CDC but also the deaths of several celebrities made it clear that AIDS was serious and deadly. Rock Hudson announced that he had been infected with HIV July 25th 1985 and died that October. Celebrity deaths continued with Robert Reed, Amanda Blake, Anthony Perkins, and Dack Rambo.

AIDS: A Brief History. 1 June 2009. http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~ghale20r/classweb/2page.html

The History of AIDS. 1 June 2009 . http://fohn.net/history-of-aids/