Yinzibing (阴滋病) is an unverified disease.

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

-like symptoms were reported by people who claimed that they had caught such disease, but tested negative for

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...

. Authorities claim people had anxiety and stress that could have triggered an auto-immune disease.

Etymology

The term was coined from "yīnxìng (negative)", "àizī (AIDS)", and "bìng (disease)". It was also referred to as "Yinxing Aizibing" (阴性艾滋病, HIV-negative AIDS).

History

In 2011, rumors of an AIDS-like disease were spreading in

Mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...

, which captured the attention of the

media of China The mass media in the People's Republic of China primarily consists of television, newspapers, radio, and magazines. Since the start of the 21st century, the Internet has also emerged as an important form of mass media and is under the direct ...

and

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

and spread across the internet. It was reported that people with "yinzibing" had AIDS-like symptoms such as hypodermic hemorrhage, weak immune system, swollen lymph glands, etc. An investigation followed. The Chinese Ministry of Health conducted an epidemiological investigation. The Disease Prevention and Control Bureau of China stated that no new virus was found and that yinzibing was a mental health problem. A study of patients claiming to suffer from this disorder, conducted in 2013, concluded that this disease could not be completely explained by mental disorder. However, a 2019 follow-up study suggested the symptoms were explainable as

chronic fatigue syndrome Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling Chronic condition, chronic illness. People with ME/CFS experience profound fatigue that does not go away with rest, as well as sleep issues and problems with memory ...

, an illness usually precipitated by a viral infection or stress. The Chinese CDC shipped blood samples overseas for additional analysis. That analysis found no new virus nor infection.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Expert: AIDS-like disease is not just phobia
China Daily, 2011.
China's mystery HIV-like disease may be all in the mind
BBC News, 2010.

People's Daily Online, 2009. 2011 in China HIV/AIDS Fringe science