Post by Admin on Mar 23, 2016 18:56:44 GMT -8
The Earliest Known Case
The first case of HIV infection in a human was identified in 1959. (The transfer of the HIV disease from animal to human likely occurred several decades earlier, however.) The infected individual lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He did not know (and research could not identify) how he was infected.
A Tiny Discovery
In 1984, Dr. Robert Gallo and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute discovered what causes AIDS. Gallo found the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is the virus responsible for HIV infections. The infection is distinct from AIDS, the full-blown syndrome that, along with the consequences of a damaged immune system (such as pneumonia and Kaposi’s sarcoma), is most often fatal.
Losing Famous Faces
America’s romantic leading man in the 1950s and ’60s, Rock Hudson, passed away from complications related to AIDS in 1985. When he passed, he willed $250,000 to help establish the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). Today, amfAR helps fund research and education around the globe.
Also this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first commercial blood test, ELISA. The ELISA test allowed hospitals and healthcare facilities to quickly screen blood for the disease.
HAART Becomes Popular
The FDA approved the first protease inhibitor in 1995. This began a new era of strong treatment and response called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). By 1997, HAART was the standard of treatment for HIV. Soon, the number of deaths caused by AIDS begins to fall. This medicine plan nearly cut the number of AIDS-related deaths in half in just one year. However, HAART had its detractors. Many were worried the treatment plan was too aggressive and might actually make treatment-resistant HIV strains.
Advances in Home Testing
The FDA approved the first at-home HIV test kit in 2002. The test was 99.6 percent accurate. This opened up the possibility for people to test their status in the privacy of their own homes.
Prevention Before Cure
HIV and AIDS do not yet have cures. Once a person is infected with the virus, they cannot get rid of the virus. They can treat it and slow the progression of the disease.
For people who are not infected, there is hope you may be able to prevent an infection. In 2013, the CDC released a study that found that a daily dose of medication may be able to halt the transfer of HIV from a positive person to a negative person.
The first case of HIV infection in a human was identified in 1959. (The transfer of the HIV disease from animal to human likely occurred several decades earlier, however.) The infected individual lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He did not know (and research could not identify) how he was infected.
A Tiny Discovery
In 1984, Dr. Robert Gallo and colleagues at the National Cancer Institute discovered what causes AIDS. Gallo found the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is the virus responsible for HIV infections. The infection is distinct from AIDS, the full-blown syndrome that, along with the consequences of a damaged immune system (such as pneumonia and Kaposi’s sarcoma), is most often fatal.
Losing Famous Faces
America’s romantic leading man in the 1950s and ’60s, Rock Hudson, passed away from complications related to AIDS in 1985. When he passed, he willed $250,000 to help establish the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). Today, amfAR helps fund research and education around the globe.
Also this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first commercial blood test, ELISA. The ELISA test allowed hospitals and healthcare facilities to quickly screen blood for the disease.
HAART Becomes Popular
The FDA approved the first protease inhibitor in 1995. This began a new era of strong treatment and response called highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). By 1997, HAART was the standard of treatment for HIV. Soon, the number of deaths caused by AIDS begins to fall. This medicine plan nearly cut the number of AIDS-related deaths in half in just one year. However, HAART had its detractors. Many were worried the treatment plan was too aggressive and might actually make treatment-resistant HIV strains.
Advances in Home Testing
The FDA approved the first at-home HIV test kit in 2002. The test was 99.6 percent accurate. This opened up the possibility for people to test their status in the privacy of their own homes.
Prevention Before Cure
HIV and AIDS do not yet have cures. Once a person is infected with the virus, they cannot get rid of the virus. They can treat it and slow the progression of the disease.
For people who are not infected, there is hope you may be able to prevent an infection. In 2013, the CDC released a study that found that a daily dose of medication may be able to halt the transfer of HIV from a positive person to a negative person.