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Updated: Jul 26, 2026

Amplifying and Quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV Infected Individuals with Viral Loads Below the Limit of Detection by Standard Clinical Assays
13:58

Amplifying and Quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV Infected Individuals with Viral Loads Below the Limit of Detection by Standard Clinical Assays

Published on: September 26, 2011

[AIDS. Hypothesis on the origin and emergence of HIV]

J Verdrager

    Bulletin De La Societe De Pathologie Exotique (1990)
    |January 1, 1995
    PubMed

    Insights

    Accidental simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) cross-species transmission typically results in a dead-end. However, serial human-to-human passages via blood inoculation may explain the evolution of SIV into human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

    Area of Science:

    • Primate retrovirology
    • Viral evolution
    • Epidemiology of infectious diseases

    Context:

    • Simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV) can transfer to humans, but usually do not establish persistent infections.
    • The evolution from SIV to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suggests a prolonged transmission cycle.
    • Historical practices in the African Great Lakes region involved blood inoculation for perceived magical benefits.

    Purpose:

    • To propose a hypothesis for the origin and early evolution of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
    • To explore the potential role of iatrogenic transmission in the emergence of HIV-1.
    • To link the introduction of modern medical tools with traditional practices in HIV emergence.

    Summary:

    • Cross-species transmission of SIV from primates to humans is a known phenomenon.
    • SIV-human transmission typically leads to a biological dead-end, except possibly for the sooty mangabey virus.
    • The progressive evolution of SIV into HIV likely required serial human-to-human passages, possibly initiated by contaminated needles and syringes used for ritualistic blood inoculation in the 1910s.
    • The first HIV-1 infection may have emerged in the 1940s within isolated communities in the African Great Lakes region, later spreading to other populations.

    Impact:

    • This hypothesis offers a potential explanation for the zoonotic origin and early spread of HIV-1.
    • Understanding the historical context of HIV emergence can inform current public health strategies.
    • Highlights the potential impact of medical interventions and cultural practices on viral evolution and dissemination.

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