Experimental oral polio vaccines and acquired immune deficiency syndrome

The simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) of the common chimpanzee is widely acknowledged as the direct ancestor of HIV-1. There is increasing historica l evidence that during the late 1950s, kidneys were routinely excised from central African chimpanzees by scientists who were collaborating with the p olio vaccine research of Dr Hilary Koprowski, and sent-inter alia-to vaccin e-making laboratories in the USA and Africa, and to unspecified destination s in Belgium. While there is no direct evidence that cells from these kidne ys were used as a substrate for growing Dr Koprowski's oral polio vaccines, there is a startling coincidence between places in Africa where his CHAT v accine was fed, and the first appearances in the world of HIV-1 group M and group-m-related AIDS. Because of the enormous implications of the hypothes is that AIDS may be an unintended iatrogenic (physician-caused) disease, it is almost inevitable that this theory will engender heated opposition from many of those in the scientific establishment, and those with vested inter ests.