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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009
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Scientists Find First Human Infected With Gorilla HIV

Disease continues to evolve

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(Newser) – A woman from Cameroon living in Paris is the first human discovered to be infected with a form of HIV found in gorillas, HealthDay reports. The finding is yet another indication that the disease continues to mutate and to be transmitted by primates. The woman, 62, has not developed symptoms of AIDS, even though she was infected five years ago.

It’s not certain if the woman contracted HIV directly from a gorilla by, for example, eating gorilla meat, or by having sex with someone who had frequent contact with the animals’ blood, such as a gorilla hunter. Scientists believe humans were initially infected with HIV primarily from eating chimpanzee or monkey meat. "The jury is still out as to whether this is bad news relative to strains of HIV that are already circulating," cautioned an AIDS expert.

A form of HIV found in gorillas has infected a woman from Cameroon living in Paris.
A form of HIV found in gorillas has infected a woman from Cameroon living in Paris.   (AP Photo/Haika Scheffler - THE CANADIAN PRESS)
In this photo provided by the San Francisco Zoo, Hasani, the 7-month-old infant western lowland gorilla, rides on the back of his surrogate mother at the San Francisco Zoo, as another member of the troop walks in the background, Thursday, July 2, 2009 in San Francisco.
In this photo provided by the San Francisco Zoo, Hasani, the 7-month-old infant western lowland gorilla, rides on the back of his surrogate mother at the San Francisco Zoo, as another member of the troop...   (AP Photo/ San Francisco Zoo, George Nikitin)
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Findings like these remind us that primates continue to transmit viruses to humans just as they did before we knew about AIDS.
- Rowena Johnston, vice president of research for AmFAR

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12 comments
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westonism
Aug 3, 09 2:22 AM CDT
Just another good reason not to have sex with a gorilla. Reply
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+4
IN RESPONSE:
Fondue
Aug 3, 09 9:31 AM CDT
Because having sex with a gorilla is the only way to contract HIV.
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0
IN RESPONSE:
BoZo
Sep 12, 09 5:47 PM CDT
EXACTLY.
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Jojo
Aug 3, 09 3:03 AM CDT
Ever time I hear the part about "Scientists believe humans were initially infected with HIV primarily from eating chimpanzee" I think of that Faces Of Death video I saw when I was a teenager where the people sat around a table that was built to eat monkeys. There was a hole in the middle of the table and the monkey... lets just say after he was put out of his misery, they removed the top of the skull for the group of people to have dinner. Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
schmidtkoff
Aug 3, 09 9:23 AM CDT
YES. jojo - that was so disgusting, inhumane and so horrible! i do remember.but from what little i know hiv can only be transmitted from bodily fluids to an open wound? or compoimised oriface?
Vote up! Vote down!
+1

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