13 June, 2010

African green monkey blamed of the original source of AIDS, but they are benefitial fighting against Swine Flu

Long time ago, there were rumor about the HIV virus was originated from African green monkey. For example, this is the question asked by a parent.

I desperately need help. My son's health teacher told the kids in class yesterday that scientists believe that HIV/AIDS was caused by 2 possible scenarios: by people in Africa eating or having sex with green monkeys or by "scientists" who created the virus in a laboratory to kill homosexuals. The scientists didn't realize that it might also infect "straight" people as well. I need to get a reliable answer to what I am 99% certain are lies, so I can set my son straight.
(Peiperl, L., Did the Green Monkey Start AIDS?)
Like Peiperl's answer on the web page, some say that connection of monkey frequently used on researches and suggesting the possibility of the rumor came from such monkey researches in the laboratories.
It was virtually impossible for any molecular biologist researching AIDS in the early 1980's to have been unaware of the debate about the risks of molecular biology and the subsequent legislation regulating their activities. Even before the AIDS epidemic, retroviruses were the subject of intense research activity because of their ability to turn RNA into DNA, and their possible role in causing cancer. Hundreds of thousands of African green monkeys and other species have been exported from Africa to research laboratories in Europe and America, where they have been subjected to experimental infections and their tissues used in cell culture. If HIV is a mutant monkey virus, it is surely more probable that it came from a laboratory than from monkey with naturally mutated virus biting man somewhere in "darkest Africa." That the latter hypothesis and not the former has been pursued suggests that factors other than science have been guiding the activities of AIDS researchers.
(
Harrison-Chirimuuta, R., Is AIDS African?, 1997)
However, the monkeys, especially African green monkey, have been the subject of vaccine production resources. Swine Flu vaccine is not the only one using African green monkey cells.
Each of the early polio vaccines were derived from the poliovirus grown in monkeys and monkey kidney cells, unfortunately, additional monkey viruses were also harvested. In the Salk vaccine the progress of inactivation of the polio virus by formaldehyde fixation generally inactivated many contaminating viruses. However, one contaminant virus that was not inactivated was the retrovirus simian virus 40 (SV40; named because it was the fortieth simian virus found contaminating the early polio vaccine). In the Sabin and Kaprowaki vaccines, the polio virus was not inactivated and even more live contaminating viruses were harvested along with the polio virus. Koprowski's vaccine was developed in minced rhesus macaque monkey kidneys to weaken the virus. Later, the rhesus macaque monkey was shown to be the natural host for SV40. Koprowski then switched to the African green monkey to grow the vaccine. Although the African green monkey was free of SV 40, it may have been the source of an even more serious contaminating virus, SIV or another precursor to HIV.
(Cross, M., Where AIDS Came from).
Currently, the African green monkey is used for creating Swine Flu vaccines. It is funny that these vaccine creating companies are supporting the war in Afganistan and getting fundings for their products. Now wonder the rumors like the virus originated from the monkeys which are actually used for creating vaccines are widely spread. But I think the monkey business seems to be stable even in economic crisis.

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