The Origin of HIV and Widespread Infections of Human with Monkey-Derived Stealth Adapted Viruses can be Traced to the Inadvertent Use of Cytomegalovirus-Infected Monkeys to Produce Polio Vaccines

The experimental CHAT polio vaccine that was tested in African chimpanzees was unquestionably contaminated by a modified rhesus cytomegalovirus [1,2]. This contamination provides a very plausible explanation for the conversion of chimpanzee simian immunodeficiency virus to HIV, and the resulting AIDS epidemic [3]. The standard arguments for pre-polio vaccine origin of HIV are clearly flawed [3]. Although, seemingly no longer on PubMed, there was an article that reported the occurrence of unusual bacterial infections among debilitated animal caretakers at the polio vaccine testing facility. This illness was confirmed to me by a now deceased acquaintance who had worked at the facility. He also confirmed the importation into the facility of West African chimpanzees.

The production of polio vaccines in cultured kidney cells from rhesus monkey was discontinued because of the 1960 discovery of simian virus-40 (SV-40) infections of many rhesus monkeys [4]. The switch was made to the use of kidneys from African green monkeys. As with rhesus monkeys, many African green monkeys are cytomegalovirus infected. The development of polio vaccine allowed for the selection of immune evading variants of contaminating rhesus and African green monkey simian cytomegalovirus (SCMV) [5]. These viruses differ from the originating viruses in having deletions or major mutations in the genes coding for the relatively few virus components that are normally targeted by the cellular immune system [6]. They have also acquired additional genetic sequences [7]. These can come from the monkey cellular genome and from other microbes. This has allowed for the transfer of monkey cellular genetic sequences into and between humans [8]. Moreover, the monkey sequences can undergo an exchange with human cellular sequences, presumably by homologous recombination. The reconstructed viruses are referred to as being stealth adapted and the incorporated cellular and bacteria genetic components as being “renegade” sequences [7]. Extensive DNA sequence data on a prototypic stealth adapted SCMV are available on GenBank by using the search-term stealth virus-1. Stealth adaptation is a generic process that can potentially occur with all viruses.

Stealth adapted monkey cytomegaloviruses are infecting humans [9-11]. They do not induce an inflammatory response and have largely gone unrecognized by virologists, as well as by the cellular immune system. The brain is particularly susceptible to symptomatic illnesses caused by stealth adapted viruses. They can be cultured from the blood and cerebrospinal fluids of patients with a range of neurological and psychiatric illnesses, including chronic fatigue syndrome and autism [12-14]. There is additional evidence of human to human and human to animal transmission. Stealth adapted viruses induce neurological disease when inoculated into cats [15]. The cats show clinical recovery despite the absence of inflammation. This type of observation has led to the identification of a non-immunological anti-virus defense mechanism, which, if sufficiently active, can suppress both regular and stealth adapted viruses. This will be discussed in a future article.

Public Health officials have either not learned about stealth adapted viruses or have been reluctant to seriously consider the supporting clinical and DNA sequence data. The evidence points to HIV occurring because chimpanzees were inoculated with a cytomegalovirus contaminated experimental polio vaccine. Modified (stealth adapted) cytomegaloviruses from both rhesus and African green monkeys have been transferred into humans, allowing for continued human to human transmission. Monkey genetic sequences have also been introduced into humans via these viruses. Virus cultures have confirmed the presence of monkeyderived stealth adapted viruses in patients with impaired brain activity, including the chronic fatigue syndrome and autism. An open question is whether stealth adapted viruses are responsible for the very high prevalence of suboptimal emotional heath in humans. It is the responsibility of the Public Health system to answer this question.

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