I read when scientists were investigating to find the first carrier of AIDS in this country, they found the beginning of the AIDS virus started on Fire Island. A homosexual male flight attendant contracted the disease in Africa and when he returned to the states, he spent time on Fire Island with other homosexuals and that was the beginning.
Until I read that, I didn’t know Fire Island was known for homosexuals there or visiting there. I don’t know exactly where Fire Island is except it is near New York state or New York City.
The homosexual flight attendant spread HIV all over the US at each destination his plane stopped at.
Actually, the person identified as ‘Patient Zero’ in the USA was Robert Rayford, a 16-year-old (possible male prostitute) from St. Louis, MO. He died in 1969, having likely contracted the disease, by his admission, sometime in late 1966.
Yes, you read that right.....1966.
Interestingly, the young man in question never left the Midwest region; how he contracted AIDS is still somewhat of a mystery, though doctors at that time did strongly suspect he was a “hustler”.
Here’s the whole story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Rayford