Why Aren't Monkeys Dying from HIV After Humans Acquired It from Them?
The name HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a virus specific to humans. However, some Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) does exist in monkeys, and here's how this leads to our current understanding of HIV.
Understanding SIV and HIV
Monkeys catch an equivalent virus called Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV). It's important to note that it is not the same as HIV; rather, it is the primate ancestor that eventually transformed into HIV. SIV is not transmitted directly from monkeys to humans; rather, a mutation triggered by the interaction of different monkey species led to the virus's ability to infect humans.
Why HIV is Less Deadly in Monkeys
The HIV virus is a human-specific immunodeficiency virus, which means it is not as lethal when it infects primates. Monkeys carry SIV without showing severe symptoms or reducing their lifespan, thanks to natural adaptation processes.
This adaptation process happened over thousands of years. Some monkeys who inherited genetic resistance to SIV survived and passed this resistance to their offspring. Consequently, the monkey population developed a resilience to SIV, allowing them to live normally even when carrying the virus.
Adaptation and Resistance in Monkeys
Monkeys that had inherited resistance to SIV thrive and reproduce, gradually increasing the proportion of SIV-resistant individuals in the population. After thousands of years, the majority of monkeys are now immune to severe symptoms caused by SIV. This is why, despite being exposed to the virus, most monkeys live long and healthy lives.
Human Adaptation to HIV
In a similar manner, if humans had not developed medical treatments and social adaptations to control the spread of HIV, the virus would have resulted in widespread death in the human population. Only those with natural genetic resistance would have survived. Over time, these resistant individuals would have dominated the human population, leading to a prevalent resistance to HIV.
Without the current medical advancements, the human race would follow the same evolutionary path observed in monkeys. Once society no longer supports advanced medical treatments, human civilization might face a collapse. In such a scenario, the natural selection process would lead to the predominance of HIV-resistant individuals, as was observed in monkeys.
The study of these natural processes provides valuable insights into the nature of viruses and the evolution of resistance. While monkeys have adapted, understanding this offers lessons for human medicine and public health.