Joel Weisman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joel Weisman
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| Born | February 20, 1943 |
| Died | July 18, 2009 (aged 66) |
| Occupation | Physician |
Joel D. Weisman was an American doctor. He was born on February 20, 1943, and passed away on July 18, 2009. Dr. Weisman was one of the first doctors to notice a new, serious illness. This illness was later named AIDS. He then worked hard to find ways to treat and prevent AIDS.
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Early Life and Medical Training
Joel Weisman was born in Newark, New Jersey. His birthday was February 20, 1943. He went to the Kansas City College of Osteopathy. This school is now called the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He graduated in 1970. He became a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). After medical school, he practiced medicine in his hometown. This town was Carteret, New Jersey.
Discovering a New Illness
Dr. Weisman moved to Los Angeles. He started working at a doctor's office in North Hollywood. In 1978, he began seeing unusual health problems. Many of his younger male patients had strange conditions. Some had shingles. One patient had Kaposi's sarcoma. Several others had symptoms that looked like lymphoma, but were not.
Working with Other Doctors
In 1981, Dr. Weisman sent two of his patients to Michael S. Gottlieb. Dr. Gottlieb was an immunologist at the UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Gottlieb also had a patient with similar symptoms. They realized they were seeing a new pattern of illness.
First Report on AIDS
Dr. Weisman and Dr. Gottlieb wrote a report together. It was published by the Centers for Disease Control. This report came out on June 5, 1981. It was in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report described five young men. All of them had a rare lung infection. Two of these patients had already passed away.
This report was very important. It is known as the first official start of the AIDS pandemic. It was also the first time AIDS was written about in medical papers. Dr. Gottlieb later said that Dr. Weisman was a "very astute physician." He meant that Dr. Weisman was very smart. He noticed that "something out of the ordinary was happening."
Later Life and Legacy
Dr. Weisman passed away at age 66. He died from heart disease on July 18, 2009. He was at his home in the Westwood area of Los Angeles. He is remembered for his important role. He helped identify AIDS early on. He also worked to find treatments and ways to prevent the disease. He was survived by his daughter and granddaughter. He also had a brother and two nieces.
