HIV still kills people after thousands of years

American scientists have discovered the ancestors of AIDS viruses that are thousands of years old, longer than what scientists have thought before.

Immunodeficiency virus in chimpanzee (SIV) has taken thousands of years to become less dangerous, not just a few hundred years as previously assumed. This suggests that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), believed to be a descendant of SIV, will still be lethal for a long time.

According to University of Arizona researchers, SIV is not the same as HIV, does not cause AIDS in most mammalian bodies. If it takes thousands of years for SIV to be harmless, for HIV, this process will take a similar time.

Professor Michael Worobey of the University of Arizona Department of Ecology and Evolution said: ' HIV is a quirky virus because all other immunodeficiency species cause very low mortality rates for individuals. . "

Mr. Worobey said: ' Our findings suggest that a result is in stark contrast to previous assumptions. If HIV evolves in the direction of reducing virulence, it cannot happen sooner . '