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World AIDS Day

1800s

1800s: The origin of HIV infection in humans can be traced back to a species of chimpanzee in Central Africa. Research suggests that the transmission of HIV from chimpanzees to humans may have…

Contents of this path:
1. 1800s
  1800s: The origin of HIV infection in humans can be traced back to a species of chimpanzee in Central Africa. Research suggests that the transmission of HIV from chimpanzees to humans may have occurred as early as the late 1800s. Image Attribution: Graham Beards, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  1800s: The origin of HIV infection in humans can be traced back to a species of chimpanzee in Central Africa. Research suggests that the transmission of HIV from chimpanzees to humans may have…
  more
2. June 5, 1981
  The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) releases a report in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that documents instances of an uncommon lung infection, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), occurring in five young, previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles. This MMWR issue marks the initial official documentation that marks the beginning of the AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) epidemic. Image Attribution: US gov't, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) releases a report in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that documents instances of an uncommon lung infection, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia…
  more
3. June 5, 1981
  Dr. Alvin Friedman-Kien, a dermatologist in New York, contacts the CDC to notify them about a group of instances of a rare and unusually aggressive cancer called Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS) among gay men in New York and California. Similar to PCP, KS is linked to individuals with compromised immune systems. Image Attribution: Nephron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  Dr. Alvin Friedman-Kien, a dermatologist in New York, contacts the CDC to notify them about a group of instances of a rare and unusually aggressive cancer called Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS) among gay men in…
  more
4. July 3, 1981
  July 3, 1981: The New York Times publishes an article entitled “Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals” and the term “gay cancer” becomes widely used. Image Attribution: Haxorjoe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  July 3, 1981: The New York Times publishes an article entitled “Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals” and the term “gay cancer” becomes widely used. Image Attribution: Haxorjoe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via…
  more
7. September 9, 1982
  The CDC identifies all significant modes of HIV transmission, emphasizing that the virus is not spread through casual contact, food, water, air, or environmental surfaces. Image Attribution: CDC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  The CDC identifies all significant modes of HIV transmission, emphasizing that the virus is not spread through casual contact, food, water, air, or environmental surfaces. Image Attribution: CDC,…
  more
8. September 24, 1982
  The CDC first uses the term “AIDS” (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in a new MMWR and released the first case definition. Image Attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  The CDC first uses the term “AIDS” (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in a new MMWR and released the first case definition. Image Attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public…
  more
9. May 20, 1983
  Dr. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and her team at the Pasteur Institute in France announce the identification of a retrovirus that may be responsible for AIDS. Image Attribution: Prolineserver, GFDL 1.2 , via Wikimedia Commons
  Dr. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and her team at the Pasteur Institute in France announce the identification of a retrovirus that may be responsible for AIDS. Image Attribution: Prolineserver, GFDL 1.2 ,…
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10. April 23, 1984
  Researchers at the National Cancer Institute, particularly Dr. Robert Gallo, independently discover the virus and call it Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus-III (HTLV-III). Image Attribution: U.S. Government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  Researchers at the National Cancer Institute, particularly Dr. Robert Gallo, independently discover the virus and call it Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus-III (HTLV-III). Image Attribution: U.S.…
  more
11. January 11, 1985
  The CDC updates the AIDS case definition to acknowledge that AIDS is attributed to a recently identified virus. Additionally, the CDC issues preliminary recommendations for blood screening. Image Attribution: hivinfo.nih.gov, public domain.
  The CDC updates the AIDS case definition to acknowledge that AIDS is attributed to a recently identified virus. Additionally, the CDC issues preliminary recommendations for blood screening. Image…
  more
12. May 1, 1986
  The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses announces the official designation of the virus responsible for AIDS as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Image Attribution: International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses announces the official designation of the virus responsible for AIDS as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Image Attribution: International…
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