What we knew about HIV and AIDS in 1985

In 1985, a three-year-old child sparked a huge controversy when she was banned from her local pre-school because some of the parents considered her a grave threat to the other children. Eve van Grafhorst was infected with the virus that causes AIDS, contracted from one of the blood transfusions she received after her premature birth. Thirty years ago, Australia was only beginning to come to terms with HIV and AIDS. There was a lot of hysteria and fear about the virus, particularly about how infectious it might be. Dr Karl Kruszelnicki produced this explainer for ABC TV's Quantum program in November 1985, 18 months before the infamous "Grim Reaper" advertising campaign. Australia's response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic is considered to have been one of the most effective anywhere in the world. According to the 2015 UNSW Kirby Institute Annual Surveillance Report, the rate of HIV infections in Australia has stabilised at about 1,000 new cases annually. In December 2014 it was estimated that 27,150 people are living with HIV in Australia. About 12 per cent of them are thought to be unaware of their HIV-positive status. Ms van Grafhorst's family moved to Hastings, New Zealand in 1986. She passed away at the age of 11 in 1993. There has been no known case of HIV acquisition via blood transfusion in Australia since the late 1990s. (c) Australian Broadcasting Corporation http://abc.net.au/science