A.I.D.S. virus ‘centuries old’

Press, 1 May 1984, Page 24

A.I.D.S. virus ‘centuries old’

NZPA-AP Boston One of the scientists who has discovered the probable cause of A.I.D.S. says he believes the deadly disease has existed in Africa for thousands of years and is not a new illness, as many experts believed. Dr Robert Gallo, of the National Institutes of Health, bases his theory on an analysis of the genetic differences between the acquired immune deficiency syndrome virus and two closely related “cousins.” “We may be seeing something that has always been there,” Dr Gallo said. “I don’t believe it is new.” When the strange disease began showing up among male homosexuals and drug

abusers in the United States about four years ago, many scientists speculated tha't A.I.D.S. was an entirely new illness, perhaps caused by some new virus. Dr Gallo announced that A.I.D.S. appeared to be caused by a member of a family of germs called Human' T-Cell Leukemia Viruses, or HTLV. He said the new virus, called HTLV3, was similar to two previously discovered leukemiacaus’ing viruses called HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. All belong to a broad class called retroviruses. “Immunologically, HTLV--3 seems to be more closely related to HTLV-2 than it is to one,” he said, in a lecture at Massachusetts General Hospital.