Lucia:

>If there is no evidence for the HIV virus..

I know little or nothing about HIV, but the information in Lucia's post does
not seem to rule out a possibility that what is being called a virus (HIV)
could be "x": a new type of infectious agent (if you call bacteria and virii
(?) agents).  And it _could_ be that "x" could cause AIDS in people whose
immune systems are compromised, or that can't deal with the infection due to
heredity.

AIDS, being "Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome", suggests that "x"/HIV is
responsible for degrading the immune system.  But there are stories of
people who are diagnosed positive for "x"/HIV who are then later are found
to be negative.  Suggestions are that (A) the body has dealt with the
infection successfully, (B) that "x"/HIV has gone "underground" with the
suggestion that it could surface again spontaineously.

A question comes to mind:  If a person gets a virus, I assume that they
develop antibodies to the virus.  If this is the case, and once the body is
clear of the virus (read "cured"),  do the antibodies hang around for a long
time or do they disappear also?

Lynton