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The 1920's West Africa origin hypothesis is the one best supported by the phylogenetic data. That would support the hypothesis that the virus was spread through
by HarryHirsch 6y ago
The 1920's West Africa origin hypothesis is the one best supported by the phylogenetic data. That would support the hypothesis that the virus was spread through prostitution, facilitated by the high incidence of genital ulcers (syphilis &c).
- oh_sigh 6y agoOk, you clearly believe in it. But the wider scientific community isn't so sure.
- HarryHirsch 6y agoThe iatrogenic hypothesis remains an outsider opinion: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3376824/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3376824/
- pessimizer 6y agothrowaway_pdp09's comment starts with "The majority of HIV researchers," so also doesn't claim to be a received fact but a possibility (what in science does?) I'm not sure why that means that the possible effects of colonialism on disease shouldn't be discussed.
- HarryHirsch 6y agoI'm not sure why that means that the possible effects of colonialism on disease shouldn't be discussed. It's obvious, isn't it? When you discuss public health issues it quickly becomes apparent that your own good health isn't just a result of individual choices, a large amount depends on the environment, that is on politics. That's a dangerous path that leads directly to questioning the status quo, and the political elites that profit from it can't have that.
- oh_sigh 6y agoI'm not saying it shouldn't be discussed. I'm saying that OP opened his post by stating "The irony is that the virus originated in a Kinshasa slum..." as if it is a fact or at least a generally accepted viewpoint, and not merely an opinion of some researchers but not others.