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Originating in Africa, the disease was transmitted from monkeys to humans and then began its deadly global spread. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, “HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. This is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is different from most other viruses because it attacks the immune system. The immune system gives our bodies the ability to fight infections. HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell (T cells or CD4 cells) that the immune system must have to fight disease.” AIDS is the final and deadly stage of HIV infection. More than 25 million people have died of Aids since 1981.