HIV Mysteries

Do we have all the answers? -- Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
The AIDS disease was discovered in 1981, and the virus responsible was discovered by (depending who you believe) Montagnier in 1983 or Gallo in 1984. The disease has claimed 25 million lives since it's discovery in '81. One dissenter in the science community, Peter Duesberg, stirred things up 15 years ago when he claimed that HIV was merely a passenger virus and other cofactors were needed for someone with HIV to reach a disease state. Among his observations:

• There is no HIV-specific disease. All the HIV-associated illnesses are previously known and can have other causes.
• Long incubation -- a virus disease usually has a short incubation, showing symptoms in 8-24 hours. HIV supposedly can take 5-10 years to show symptoms.
• In typical viral disease, there is a high % loss of target cells; HIV only infects 1 in 500 T-cells.
• Viral disease is self-limiting within a few weeks; HIV is not.
• Viral disease follows a random path; HIV seems to infect specific groups

For all of Duesberg's analysis, he lost his funding from NIH and he was labeled a loony. Duesberg seems to think that HIV is only a “passenger” virus and has nothing to do with getting AIDS. It’s easy to see how people could interpret his idea as homophobic – “It’s all those gay guys doing crystal meth”. Giving him the benefit of the doubt on that, he raises some legitimate points about how HIV differs from other disease-causing retroviruses. Here are some more observations regarding the American (but not African) pandemic:

• HIV infection is almost unheard of in lesbians who don’t do IV drugs (regardless of safe sex practices).
• HIV infection is almost unheard of in heterosexual males who don’t do IV drugs (regardless of safe sex practices).
• HIV/AIDS has never become a disease of the general population. It seems like heterosexuals having unprotected sex would be at risk, but it’s never become epidemic with heterosexuals.
• (Data from Duesberg): Of hospital personnel who’ve seroconverted from accidental needle pricks, nary a one has progressed to AIDS.
• There are a growing number of people who have the virus and no symptoms whatever.

Duesberg attributes the African pandemic to malnutrition, and some misdiagnosis. HIV transmission is caused by sperm-to-blood or blood-to-blood contact – the ritual of female circumcision could easily pass the virus if unsanitary tools were used. From some of what we see here, the disease is hard to get and even then something needs to help it along. I myself know of several people who’ve passed away from HIV, but most were drug users at some point. What I’d like to find, to help prove or disprove Duesberg, is someone with full-blown AIDS who is non-hemophiliac, non-IV drug user and also someone who has always led a somewhat “Mormon” lifestyle – no cigarettes, alcohol, recreational drugs to speak of. (Before or after infection).

My general conclusion is that HIV is necessary, but I’m not at all convinced sufficient to cause disease. Maybe there has to be some other disease cofactor at work. Duesberg raises good questions, but I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater as he appears to do. HIV/AIDS does behave in ways very unusual and the medical community still has many questions to answer. If people can remain objective in their analysis, maybe we can come to the most meaningful answers.

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