2010 is the 30th anniversary of the world wide eradication of smallpox. As the success of the vaccination program became evident, smallpox vaccination was phased out between the 1950s and 1970s. Since then HIV AIDS rates have soared, particularly in Africa. Dr Weinstein, and his colleagues in the USA, now think there may be a link between an individual's susceptibility to HIV AIDS and whether they have been immunised against smallpox (BMC Immunology 2010, 11: 23)
Origins of the HIV Virus
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) virus exists in 2 forms, HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for most primary HIV infections. Studies suggest that both forms arose from monkey immunodeficiency viruses in Africa, HIV-1 in 1931 and HIV-2 in about 1942. Since the 1950s there has been a huge increase in HIV infections firstly in Africa and then the rest of the world.
Several theories have been suggested to explain HIV’s exponential spread including outbreaks of war or contaminated batches of polio vaccines. None of the theories fully explain the spread of the virus and work to develop a vaccine has proved very challenging. Understanding how HIV evades the immune system is vital to combating the disease.
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