Aids
AidsAIDS in Africa
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is one of the most deadly
viruses in the world. No country in Africa has escaped the virus. Some have been
effected more then others though. The spread of AIDS in Africa is because of
poor medical treatment and a lack of education on the part of the people.
HIV is the virus which causes AIDS.(Aids in Africa,1994) HIV stands for
Human Immune-deficiency Virus. The virus attacks the bodies immune system
and weakens it. Scientists have wondered about the origin of HIV ever since the
epidemic emerged.
Experts believe that the virus was contracted through Chimpanzees. (AIDS
came from Chimps, 1999) Perhaps when someone was bitten by a chimp, or a
hunter was exposed to contaminated blood while field dressing an animal. (AIDS
came from Chimps, 1999) Tests were done by Dr. Beatrice Hahn of the University
of Alabama. Her studies tracked HIV back to a virus that infects four sub-species
of chimps that live in Africa. (AIDS came from Chimps, 1999) Hahn and her team
studied frozen tissue from a chimp that died of complications at childbirth. In
this frozen tissue their was the chimp version of the AIDS virus, called SIVcpz.
The genes in SIVcpz are genetically similar to the AIDS virus. (AIDS came from
Chimps, 1999) Chimps who have probably carried this virus for thousands of
years do not get sick from it. Researchers are trying to find out why chimps are
not effected by this virus, because it may lead to a cure. (Aids in Africa,1994) This
productive finding about the virus wasn't found until 1997 when testing started.
(Aids in Africa,1994) If it would have been found sooner maybe the massive
spread of AIDS could have been prevented.
Since the start of the epidemic an estimated 34 million people living in
Sub-Saharan Africa in 1998 were infected with HIV. (AIDS,1991) This is due to a
lack of education on the part of the people in Africa. They are not taught about
the virus as we are in the United States. In this country the public and media
educate the people about AIDS, including how to prevent the disease. Without
embarrassment, Americans openly discuss methods in which the disease is
transmitted. However in African cultures confronting sexual issues that cause
AIDS and HIV is very uncommon.(AIDS the...
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