The taintedblood Timeline  -  what really happened...

The US pharmaceuticals (the Defendants) allegedly attend a meeting where the CDC publicly reports the first 3 cases of opportunistic infections among individuals with hemophilia. All 3 are reported to be heterosexual males.

Bruce Evatt, M.D. of the CDC telephones Paul Phillips, the Executive Director of the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), to inform him of the first 3 reported instances of "immune disease" in US hemophiliacs.

The director of the CDC, Dr William Foege, reports the 3 US hemophiliac cases to state and territorial health officers, blood-banking organizations, FDA, the National Institutes of Health, and regional offices of the CDC.

The National Hemophilia Foundation (USA) informs hemophilia patients and treating physicians about the 3 hemophiliac cases. They say that the CDC believes that the immune deficiency might be caused by a virus transmitted through blood or blood products, as is hepatitis, but that the risk of contracting this immunosuppressive agent was minimal.

The CDC reports that the clinical and immunologic features of the 3 US hemophiliac patients are strikingly similar to those recently observed among homosexual males and heterosexual IV drug users. At the same time, they note that the 3 hemophilia patients do not share the risk factors of the latter two groups. The CDC stated, "Although the cause of the severe immune dysfunction is unknown, the occurrence among the three hemophiliac cases suggests the possible transmission of an agent through blood products."

The 3 US hemophiliac AIDS patients whose cases had been reported in July have since died. There are now 4 more cases of opportunistic infections in hemophiliacs.