Introduction: Virology and Classification
HIV, a member of the class of viruses called retroviruses (their genetic material is ribonucleic acid, abbreviated RNA instead of Deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA, like most organisms), is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Known in full as human immunodeficiency syndrome, HIV exists as two major strains; HIV-1 and HIV-2 and is believed to have a simian source (Tang, 2009). Basically, HIV originated from simian immunodeficiency syndrome commonly found with chimpanzees and certain species of monkeys inhabiting Western Africa. The two strains of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2, were discovered in 1983 and 1986 respectively before being discovered in human blood ...
