Lessons of Emergence: HIV, Ebola, Zika, and infectious Diseases of the Future
Moderator: Eleanor Sterling (Center for Biology and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History)
William H. Schneider (Indiana University)
"The Appearance of HIV in Africa: the First Published Reports of Prevalence"
The first reports of HIV prevalence in Africa appeared shortly after the availability of a test in March 1985. Starting with readily available subjects, from blood banks, hospital personnel and clinic patients, researchers reported prevalences of 5-15%. This paper will review the published literature of results of testing of HIV-1 in central Africa and HIV-2 in West African countries which offer an early snapshot of the extent of the epidemic spread of the HIVs that is useful in gaining an overview of the evolution of the epidemic in the middle of the twentieth century.
