Edward Hooper
Encyclopedia
Edward Hooper is a British
journalist best known for his book, The River, which investigates the origins and early epidemiology of AIDS and makes a case for the OPV AIDS hypothesis
, which states that the AIDS
virus was accidentally created by scientists testing an experimental polio vaccine. Hooper's theory has been refuted using molecular biological
and phylogenetic studies demonstrating the origins of HIV as a mutated variant of simian immunodeficiency virus
that is lethal to humans.
magazine by freelance journalist Tom Curtis. Curtis described a theory advanced by Louis Pascal that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was inadvertently caused in the late 1950s in the Belgian Congo
by Hilary Koprowski
's testing of an oral polio vaccine
(OPV) on human subjects. This is the "OPV AIDS hypothesis
."
The British Medical Journal
, in December 1997, published a letter, by Hooper, which described the case of an early AIDS death, that of Arvid Noe
. Hooper warned of the danger of zoonosis
and also referred to the OPV AIDS hypothesis, "Others, members of the iatrogenic school, believe that the hand of medical science may have played an unintended role. They propose that the capture of monkeys and apes for scientific purposes, or the administration in Africa of vaccines made in substrates of primate kidney, may have been the initial means whereby the precursor simian viruses were transferred to humans."
Hooper, after traveling in Africa, Europe, and the United States for 7 years of research, in 1999 published a book The River: A journey back to the source of HIV and AIDS. In it Hooper surmised that an experimental oral polio vaccine prepared in chimpanzee
kidneys or blood may indeed have been the route through which the simian immunodeficiency virus
(SIV) passed to humans and mutated into HIV sometime between 1957 and 1959. Hooper advocated for further scientific investigation of the OPV/AIDS hypothesis and for the observation of appropriate precautions with regard to future use of animal tissue culture in medical applications, particularly in the research and development of AIDS vaccines. Also in 1998, Hooper co-authored a letter to Nature
, "An African HIV-1 sequence from 1959 and implications for the origin of the epidemic",
With the enthusiastic support of the eminent evolutionary biologist W. D. Hamilton
, Hooper was invited to take part in a symposium at Royal Society of London, the first time a non-scientist had ever been invited to such a discussion. Hooper's presentation and data were heavily criticized and rejected by scientists at the gathering; the vaccine expert Stanley Plotkin
wrote at the time that "Testimony by eyewitnesses, documents of the time, epidemiological analysis, and ancillary phylogenetic, virologic and PCR data all concur to reject the [OPV AIDS] hypothesis as false and without factual foundation."
Currently, additional scientific evidence has led to a rejection of the OPV AIDS hypothesis by the scientific community
.
Hooper continues to promote the hypothesis on his website, aidsorigins.com, where he criticizes the research and conduct of many of the scientists involved in the investigation and alleges a conspiracy
to silence the hypothesis.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist best known for his book, The River, which investigates the origins and early epidemiology of AIDS and makes a case for the OPV AIDS hypothesis
OPV AIDS hypothesis
The oral polio vaccine AIDS hypothesis argues that the AIDS pandemic originated from live polio vaccines prepared in chimpanzee tissue cultures and then administered to up to one million Africans between 1957 and 1960 in experimental mass vaccination campaigns.Data from molecular biology and...
, which states that the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
virus was accidentally created by scientists testing an experimental polio vaccine. Hooper's theory has been refuted using molecular biological
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
and phylogenetic studies demonstrating the origins of HIV as a mutated variant of simian immunodeficiency virus
Simian immunodeficiency virus
Simian immunodeficiency virus , also known as African Green Monkey virus and also as Monkey AIDS is a retrovirus able to infect at least 33 species of African primates...
that is lethal to humans.
OPV AIDS Research
Hooper first encountered the OPV AIDS hypothesis when he read a 1992 article in Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine by freelance journalist Tom Curtis. Curtis described a theory advanced by Louis Pascal that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was inadvertently caused in the late 1950s in the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
by Hilary Koprowski
Hilary Koprowski
Hilary Koprowski is a Polish virologist and immunologist, and inventor of the world's first effective live polio vaccine.-Life:...
's testing of an oral polio vaccine
Polio vaccine
Two polio vaccines are used throughout the world to combat poliomyelitis . The first was developed by Jonas Salk and first tested in 1952. Announced to the world by Salk on April 12, 1955, it consists of an injected dose of inactivated poliovirus. An oral vaccine was developed by Albert Sabin...
(OPV) on human subjects. This is the "OPV AIDS hypothesis
OPV AIDS hypothesis
The oral polio vaccine AIDS hypothesis argues that the AIDS pandemic originated from live polio vaccines prepared in chimpanzee tissue cultures and then administered to up to one million Africans between 1957 and 1960 in experimental mass vaccination campaigns.Data from molecular biology and...
."
The British Medical Journal
British Medical Journal
BMJ is a partially open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988. The journal is published by the BMJ Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association...
, in December 1997, published a letter, by Hooper, which described the case of an early AIDS death, that of Arvid Noe
Arvid Noe
Arvid Noe is the alias of a Norwegian sailor who is the first person known to have contracted HIV and died from AIDS outside of the United States. He is the second person confirmed to have died from AIDS, after the teenager known as Robert R., from St. Louis, Missouri, in 1969.-Biography:Noe...
. Hooper warned of the danger of zoonosis
Zoonosis
A zoonosis or zoonoseis any infectious disease that can be transmitted from non-human animals to humans or from humans to non-human animals . In a study of 1415 pathogens known to affect humans, 61% were zoonotic...
and also referred to the OPV AIDS hypothesis, "Others, members of the iatrogenic school, believe that the hand of medical science may have played an unintended role. They propose that the capture of monkeys and apes for scientific purposes, or the administration in Africa of vaccines made in substrates of primate kidney, may have been the initial means whereby the precursor simian viruses were transferred to humans."
Hooper, after traveling in Africa, Europe, and the United States for 7 years of research, in 1999 published a book The River: A journey back to the source of HIV and AIDS. In it Hooper surmised that an experimental oral polio vaccine prepared in chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
kidneys or blood may indeed have been the route through which the simian immunodeficiency virus
Simian immunodeficiency virus
Simian immunodeficiency virus , also known as African Green Monkey virus and also as Monkey AIDS is a retrovirus able to infect at least 33 species of African primates...
(SIV) passed to humans and mutated into HIV sometime between 1957 and 1959. Hooper advocated for further scientific investigation of the OPV/AIDS hypothesis and for the observation of appropriate precautions with regard to future use of animal tissue culture in medical applications, particularly in the research and development of AIDS vaccines. Also in 1998, Hooper co-authored a letter to Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
, "An African HIV-1 sequence from 1959 and implications for the origin of the epidemic",
With the enthusiastic support of the eminent evolutionary biologist W. D. Hamilton
W. D. Hamilton
William Donald Hamilton FRS was a British evolutionary biologist, widely recognised as one of the greatest evolutionary theorists of the 20th century....
, Hooper was invited to take part in a symposium at Royal Society of London, the first time a non-scientist had ever been invited to such a discussion. Hooper's presentation and data were heavily criticized and rejected by scientists at the gathering; the vaccine expert Stanley Plotkin
Stanley Plotkin
Stanley Plotkin is an American physician who currently works as an adviser at pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur. In the 1960s, he played a pivotal role in discovery of a vaccine against rubella virus while working at Wistar Institute in Philadelphia. Plotkin was a member of Wistar’s active...
wrote at the time that "Testimony by eyewitnesses, documents of the time, epidemiological analysis, and ancillary phylogenetic, virologic and PCR data all concur to reject the [OPV AIDS] hypothesis as false and without factual foundation."
Currently, additional scientific evidence has led to a rejection of the OPV AIDS hypothesis by the scientific community
Scientific community
The scientific community consists of the total body of scientists, its relationships and interactions. It is normally divided into "sub-communities" each working on a particular field within science. Objectivity is expected to be achieved by the scientific method...
.
Hooper continues to promote the hypothesis on his website, aidsorigins.com, where he criticizes the research and conduct of many of the scientists involved in the investigation and alleges a conspiracy
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
to silence the hypothesis.
External links
- AIDSorigins.com: Hooper's website
- The Origins of AIDS (IMDB entry for the 2003 documentary with interviews of Hooper)