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From: pinter@phri.UUCP (Abraham Pinter)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Man made virus?
Message-ID: <2126@phri.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Jan-86 12:49:00 EST
Article-I.D.: phri.2126
Posted: Fri Jan 10 12:49:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jan-86 10:24:24 EST
References: <295@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Organization: Public Health Research Inst. (NY, NY)
Lines: 14

>     	I have heard from two widely separated sources that the AIDS 
>         virus is man made.  Has anyone else heard the same thing?  Is 
>         there any truth to the rumor?

The AIDS viruses are unique agents, very different from any other
biological agents isolated prior to 1985. In addition, there is
evidence of exposure to AIDS viruses in Africans as early as 1975,
which is before recombinant DNA technologies were developed. Thus
it is inconceivable that the AIDS viruses were man-made. 

A more rational hypothesis is that these viruses were present in Africa,
either in isolated native populations, or perhaps in the monkey 
population, for many years, and with recent urbanization and
changes in life styles, has spread to reach the developed world.