When and in who was the first HIV/AIDS case diagnosed?

The first AIDS cases were identified among five young gay men in Los Angeles who developed Pneumocystis pneumonia between October 1980 and May 1981. It wasn't called "AIDS" yet in those days, and the virus we now know as HIV wasn't discovered until 1983.

Here is the wording of the original CDC report from June 5th 1981.

http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/full/96/...

The editorial note finishes with:

"All the above observations suggest the possibility of a cellular-immune dysfunction related to a common exposure that predisposes individuals to opportunistic infections such as pneumocystosis and candidiasis. Although the role of CMV infection in the pathogenesis of pneumocystosis remains unknown, the possibility of P. carinii infection must be carefully considered in a differential diagnosis for previously healthy homosexual males with dyspnea [shortness of breath] and pneumonia."

CMV is a common and largely harmless infection in most people, but a nasty opportunistic infection in people with severe immunosuppression such as in AIDS. Back in 1981 they weren't sure what the connection was. But they were absolutely right that they were dealing with a "cellular-immune dysfunction related to a common exposure that predisposes individuals to opportunistic infections such as pneumocystosis and candidiasis".

The first person diagnosed was supposedly a very promiscuous gay airline pilot who had sex with hundreds of men in several cities in a short period of time. That must have been somewhere between the late 1970s and 1981.

The story is supposed to be on this web page; but I'm having trouble finding it:

http://www.dentistry.leeds.ac.uk/oralpat...

The story is chronicled in a book and movie called "And The Band Played On."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_the_Ban...

I don't think anyone can be 100% sure about the accuracy of the airline pilot story and his name has not been disclosed. In the movie, he refused treatment and apparently went on doing the same thing. Since the disease was not understood at the time, the doctors let him go.

I never read the book, but the movie is pretty good.

It is my understanding that the hiv virus was first detected in an ill monkey from Africa.which was brought to the US for medical testing...

If anyone out there has other info..love to hear.This is info I received in a class I took as a medical pro in nursing.

Nurse Andrea RN