To test the hypothesis of the transmission of HIV/AIDS from young monkeys to human beings, researchers have intensified research on HIV-1, the AIDS virus that is widely spread in the world as opposed to HIV-2 which is common in West Africa.

The issue formed the basis of discussion during the 5th Scientific Days for the National Research Agency on AIDS and Hepatitis (ANRS, a French organization with a branch in Cameroon), that was held in the capital Yaounde on June 3-4.

The meeting was meant to reflect on the "genetic diversity" and the rate of infections among non-human primates in sub-Saharan Africa.

The main objective of the forum was to evaluate the research that was initiated in the mid-1990s in Cameroon, then spread recently to Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), on the possibility of transmission of the virus from young monkeys to man.

An initiative of a team of French and African researchers led by Prof. Eric Laporte of Montpellier University, the studies are interested in identifying the viral load among the wild non-human primates to determine the risks of inter-species transmissions and it will also examine more details on the presence of HIV-1 virus among the older monkeys in the Central African region, especially in Cameroon and Gabon.

Laporte reiterated the need to be certain and do away with all doubts.

"It's true that all monkeys are carriers of a virus that is close to the AIDS virus, but not the same. But how did the contamination take place?" he asked.

It could have happened during preparation of bush meat, meaning that one was cut. Therefore there was contact of blood to blood, he told Xinhua.

Research on HIV-1 virus which is widespread across the world took place on several groups. The bigger group is always identified by letter M and according to Prof. Laporte, "within this group, the members had numerous relations and they spread the virus."

According to researchers, 98 percent of the members of this group are in Cameroon, a Central African country with a 4.3 percent prevalence rate out of a population of over 20 million people and 122,783 people surviving on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) out of 267,075 eligible people and a total of over 570,000 infected people.

As for other groups like O and N, they are considered to be more rare and less widespread.

Laporte also insisted on the big difference between the origin of the virus, the very first case before it started spreading- and the origin of the epidemic.

"From time to time, there has been contact between man and monkeys, but there has not been any transmission," he said.

"The disease is transmitted through sexual intercourse, meaning that there's blood transfusion. Therefore it is not the monkeys," he said, ruling out the possibility of the transmission of the virus from young monkeys to man.

"These were hypotheses to help in the understanding and prevention of the disease. But we must reassure the population that there is no transmission of the virus from young monkeys to human beings," he added.

There is no doubt regarding the origin of the AIDS virus, because it has been established that certain species of chimpanzees or gorillas in Central Africa are carriers of a similar virus, but its transmission to man remains a matter of great concern to researchers.

African researchers, especially Cameroonians, have not spared any effort in their bid to understand the transmission of HIV among human beings.

It's this fundamental research issue that brought together researchers from various countries during the ANRS's Scientific Days.

The researchers from France, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, Egypt, Cambodia, Vietnam and Brazil met in Yaounde to share their experiences and skills.

According to Cameroon's Public Health Minister Andre Mama Fouda, such meetings are meant to guarantee progress in the improvement of the population's health.

"The conclusions from such meetings will help us to understand better how to take care of our people who are suffering from HIV and hepatitis," he said when he spoke during the opening of the seminar on Monday.

Although Cameroon has an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 4.3 percent, the country's prevalence rate of hepatitis B and C ranges between 10 to 12 percent.

Source: Xinhuanet