How to resolve the debate on the origin of AIDS
Hillis, D.M.
Science 289(5486): 1877-1878
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 11012356 Document Number: 524115
A letter comments on another in the August 18 issue by Hooper that discussed the analysis in the June 9 article by Korber et al. on the timing of the ancestor of the HIV-1 pandemic strains. Although the analysis is technically consistent with either an early or a late transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) from chimps to humans, Hooper's judgement regarding the hypotheses is more likely in light of the presented data is wrong. In both cases, there are uncollected data that could provide support for the respective hypotheses. Unless direct evidence supporting or refuting the oral polio vaccines hypothesis is found, a thorough study of SIV variation in the wild chimpanzee populations will be the best way to resolve this debate.