The REAL Origins & Evolution of HIV

Over 36 million people have died from AIDS so far. AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. But where does HIV originate from? And how has HIV evolved over the decades?

HIV or the human deficiency virus infects humans and causes AIDS. It is estimated that over 38 million people are infected with HIV today. HIV-1, the dominant form of HIV, has probably transmitted from apes to humans in the 1920s in Kinshasa in the Democratic republic of Congo. Over the next years, first reports of possible HIV infections surfaced although the virus has not identified. It is likely that babies in Germany, a Norwegian sailor and his familiy and others have been infected with HIV and died of AIDS in the following decades. HIV and AIDS, however, were only recognized in the 1980s when large clusters of people died in the United States. Finally, HIV was isolated by three independent researchers and was found to caus AIDS.
. When HIV enters the body it circulates in the blood and starts to infect a special type of immune cell called CD4+ T cell. HIV then converts its genetic information (RNA) into DNA using a protein called reverse transcriptase. HIV integrates this DNA into the host cell and, after a while, produces new particles which leads to the slow destruction of the immune system. If that happens for a long period of time, AIDS can occur and opportunistic infections leads to serious complications.
HIV evolves through mutations or changes in its genes. It primarily uses the error prone conversion of RNA into DNA which is made by reverse transcriptase and template switching. Through these mechanisms, HIV has become highly diverse throughout the years and can sometimes become drug resistant or more infectious.

For your reading (google the terms to find the publications):
doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0031
doi: 10.1097/COH.0000000000000137

Images:
Other material is derived from pixabay or pexels.

Music:
Intro:
Title: Outside Visitors, The Illstrumentalist
Title: Filaments by Scott Buckley (CC BY 3.0)
Title: Laconic Granny by Kevin MacLeod (CCA 4.0 )

About Clemens Steinek:
CLEMENS STEINEK is a PhD student/youtuber (LifeLabLearner) who is currently conducting stem cell research in Germany.

[babaluBRA]

When you said that there are people who don't believe in HIV, I cried a lot, I'm a 57 year old man, who lived in the 80's, I saw many of my friends die of AIDS. traumatized until today. a lonely death with a lot of shame. I feel sorry for these people for not knowing the truth

[matubemohanoe]

This video does not clearly describe the origin of HIV and AIDS. This is just general information we have been given by our health care workers over the years. Please make a better and well informed video.

[Sciencerely]

Many of you seem to be interested in HIV research. Let me know in the comments whether you would like to know something specific about HIV or if I should cover something different next!

[annalisa]

I lost my stepson to AIDS on April 18, 22. Really sux. He was 29 yrs old. Good, smart, loving young man. My husband cries everyday.

[brcarter]

Minor correction, but Kaposi's sarcoma, a deadly cancer, is NOT caused by HIV. Both Kaposi's Sarcoma and Burkitt's lymphoma are common in AIDS patients and caused by different viruses (Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus and Epstein Barr Virus, resp.). By depleting the immune system, HIV eliminates its ability to destroy cells that are mutated or infected by viruses in a process called immune surveillance. The scary part: you are all almost certainly already infected by one or both of these cancer causing viruses.

[PeaceLoveUnityRespect]

I take Truvada as PrEP simply because I had an ex who was hiv-positive but undetectable. I was not told so until 3 months later and was not concerned due to the fact that my partner was taking medication but since then I've been on PrEP just in case and there are no side effects and I am 99.9% immune to HIV and I couldn't be happier with medical advancement.

[Mrracecar]

Weird how you get a COVID warning label for the HIV/AIDS video from YouTube. Now I feel real safe and well informed.

[brunoandthebee]

I'm impressed with the people who didn't let an "I don't know what's wrong" just pass them by. The investigated and made discoveries. Those are real docs.

[Litepaw]

I'm pretty sure HIV will be cured in the next 10-20 years. The fact we managed to cure hepatitis C which was thought to be an incurable blood disease brings me a lot of hope.
HIV is still freaking me the hell out and scares me to death.

[mustangnawt]

It’s really sad how we treat animals. Seems the root cause for a lot of human death & suffering starts here. But we never learn. One thing I’ve never understood…I grew up on the 80’s when AIDS was treated as the great unknown. Seems like all of a sudden the only way I find out how far we’ve come in the fight against it is from drug treatment commercials in the US. There were no huge celebrations within the gen pop when AIDS treatment had improved so significantly. I do not understand why. It used to be attempted murder to knowingly sleep with someone without disclosure. Now new drugs and undetectability seem to have changed this completely. Anyone who knows, interested, please write back

[MattSinz]

Technically it would have been Léopoldville, in the Belgian colony of Congo in 1920. They didn't get independence until 1960, and Léopoldville wouldn't be renamed to Kinshasa until 1966.

[JOEYDEEZ]

Your beautiful voice is proper ASMR I tells yuh… thanks for this very informative video…. I worked as a volunteer in the late 90s at a sexual health clinic and my main role was to support and befriend HIV sufferers… these individuals had no one as at that time HIV was truly feared and even the doctors and nurses are certain hospitals wouldn’t go near or want to touch these patients… I would go visit them in hospital and for some individuals it was clear they were not going survive the illness… I’d bring them things to give them some comfort ie snacks fruit reading material and such then I’d sit with them for a while hold their hand and just be a friend to them… some of them looked so frightened and the stigma they faced from hospital staff was so tragic… I’m glad we know better and more info on this terrifying virus… I feel huge empathy for all the sufferers of HIV and hope that one day a cure that suits all will be discovered…

[CharlesNewkirk-lbuh]

I lost a friend from it 30 years ago ! He did not tell me, but his mom did!

[sheepbay]

You kinda sound like Nightcrawler from X-Men. He's GERMAN like you.

Good video Like the cute animation 🙂🙂🙂

[davehachey]

Excellent video, thanks putting all the hard work into making it.

[gamereditorner]

Interesting topic you presented and keep it up!!

[OGUNBUNMIMICHAEL-dneu]

Very cool topic! I've always been interested in the originals of (HSD)-(HIV) & the various strains❤ Nice Wark!!

[dirtysock]

Thank you for the video. I see that some people didn't like it, but I really learned A LOT MORE than when I was in school. All we did was aknowledge it and that's that

[misskinzy]

So...the Norwegian guy gave it to his wife and daughter? How did the babies all die so quickly if the virus has an incubation period?

[OGUNBUNMIMICHAEL-dneu]

I'm finally free from HIV after having a horrible outbreak, and feel the same way you describe in
your interview. Listening to you share your overcome experience gave me the glim hope I needed to hear. I am glad that there is people like you out there who just want to help other people who are struggling with the same issues. Your words gave me the courage I need to hear today!!!.