HIV, not Ebola main threat to humanity: Scientist Robert Gallo

Eminent scientist Dr Robert Gallo, who co-discovered HIV as the cause of AIDS, on Friday said Ebola was only a transient phenomenon and HIV posed the main threat as far as viral disease was concerned.

"Main threat we are facing as far as viral disease is concerned, is from HIV virus. We need to find a vaccine to prevent HIV and that will happen in near future", he said at a function here.

"As far as Ebola is concerned, it is only a transient phenomenon and it will subside very soon", he told a symposium on "Emerging and re-emerging viral diseases: Developing a strategy for surveillance" in the "India International Public health Conference".

The conference, organised by the Kerala Chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) as part of its annual state conference. The seminar was attended by more than 1,000 delegates from India and abroad and various issues relating to public health were discussed and deliberated upon.

As many as 30 research papers were presented at the conference. As part of the conference a seminar on "Viruses and Cancer" by Dr Robert Gallo, "Cancer Control in Kerala" by Dr M V Pillai, "Vaccine: The most successful public health" measure by Prof Dr Noel Narayanan were held.