There are individuals in all the worlds different populations who possess a natural immunity to HIV. Is this called selective retention? I might be wrong, and I can't easily find a clear answer when looking it up on the internet. Ironically, the populations with the highest natural immunity to HIV are Scandinavian countries (don't be fooled, it's under 1%) whereas the areas with the lowest natural immunity all happen to be in Africa.
To make a long story short, these people have a genetic mutation which changes the confirmation of the outside protein of the immune system's Killer T cells. This mutation causes no side affects to the mutated individuals and they lead totally normal lives, if HIV had never occurred this rare mutation would most likely not have been discovered yet, since there would be no reason to look for it (perhaps it would have been discovered through the completion of the Human genome Project). This protein happens to be the one that HIV latches onto in average people, causing death from AIDS.
As I think about this, which I often do, I being to wonder about these individuals who do possess natural immunity-
These people are very lucky! But, at the same time I being to wonder if the virus exists forever inside their bodies, then are they carriers?
Since a virus is already non-living, does that mean nothing would happen to it, and it would float around in the blood and tissues? I guess in all fairness I should say that it's very possible that there might be a very very very small amount (concentration) of the virus in the body, unless they had been having lots of sex with lots of infected partners, in which case they could get filled up with the HIV virus, but never receive any of the affects, since they themselves are immune. Fill me up with your AIDS jizz.
on a side note- These individuals are an example of evolution- their genes have been expressed when they under normal circumstances would have been taken out of the gene pool. This causes a change in a population of organisms, which is defined as evolution.
I always wonder why people try and say it doesn't exist? I've seen it happen before my eyes, it's observable. Open your eyes.
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It's inspiring to know that there will always be a few left behind, no matter what happens (in regards to pandemics).
Maybe it's going to be me?