With West African primates being natural harbors to the SIV virus, no one ever could have predicted the impact this virus would have on humans. In 1931, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was born. There are 12 known cross-species encounters that contribute to the origin of the HIV virus. Democratic Republic of Congo is thought to be where the first cases of HIV originated from. These zoonotic transmissions of SIV in primates to HIV in humans, account for the mass amount of individuals suffering from AIDS today. Soon, after these transmissions took place, the outbreak of HIV-1, and HIV-2 boomed. HIV-1, the predominant group, comes from chimpanzees, while HIV-2, the less common of the groups, comes from the sooty manabey monkeys. After this virus quickly infected every continent, AIDS spread like wildfire. The spread of HIV rose as these already-infected individuals engaged in intercourse, and sharing used needles with others. Also, blood to blood contact, or an HIV positive mother’s breast milk can be a considered a source of contracting this virus. It is mind-boggling to see all the implications that are dealt with since the HIV virus originated. After spending so much researching and digging to the roots of where the human immunodeficiency virus originated from, we can see how just a few cross-species transmission can impact …show more content…
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