Hiv Aids: A Very Short Introduction (very Short... -
The first cases of what would become known as AIDS were identified in the United States in 1981 among clusters of gay men. However, historical and phylogenetic evidence indicates the virus originated much earlier—jumping from chimpanzees (HIV-1) and sooty mangabeys (HIV-2) to humans in Central and West Africa in the early 20th century. HIV/AIDS: A Very Short Introduction | Oxford Academic