送交者: xj 于 2005-12-01, 16:39:07:
From October 1980 to May 1981, a rare pneumonia, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), was confirmed among 5 homosexual young men in Los Angeles, California. Symptoms also included a long period of fever, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and candidal muscosal infection. CDC reported these cases in June 5, 1981, and the Newsweek also made a passing mention about this new disease.
Meanwhile, in New York, at least eight cases were identified with aggressive Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS). These cases were also young, homosexually active men.
In July 30, 1981, CDC sent a memo to National Cancer Institute to request collaboration on researching the new disease. A conference ensued in a few months.
By the end of 1981, cases with similar symptoms were found in other populations, and the New York Times reported the new disease.
During the following years, the new disease was named to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), for the symptoms are all related to the immunosuppression. The virus, a retrovirus, Human Immunosuppressive Virus (HIV), was first identified in France, and almost simultaneously in the US. A new era of medicine began.