Where Did HIV Come
From?
Scientists believe HIV came from a particular kind of chimpanzee
in Western Africa. Humans probably came in contact with HIV when they hunted
and ate infected animals. Recent studies indicate that HIV may have jumped from
monkeys to humans as far back as the late 1800s.
HIV/AIDS 101
What Is HIV/AIDS? How Do You Get HIV or AIDS? Signs & Symptoms U.S. Statistics Global Statistics A Timeline of AIDS
Fact Sheets &
Print Materials
Related Topics on
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Do all people with HIV
have AIDS?
No. Being diagnosed with HIV does NOT mean a person will also be
diagnosed with AIDS. Healthcare professionals diagnose AIDS only when people
with HIV disease begin to get severe opportunistic infections or their CD4
counts fall below a certain level. For more information, see CDC’s Basic Information
About HIV And AIDS.
Where did HIV come
from?
Scientists identified a type of chimpanzee in West Africa as the
source of HIV infection in humans. The virus most likely jumped to humans when
humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came into contact with their
infected blood. Over several decades, the virus slowly spread across Africa and
later into other parts of the world. For more information, see CDC's Basic Information
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