Gaëtan Dugas
Gaëtan Dugas (French: [ɡaetɑ̃ dyɡa]; February 19, 1952 – March 30, 1984) was a Québécois Canadian flight attendant and a relatively early patient with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), who once was widely described as "Patient Zero", accusing him of introducing HIV to the United States. This claim has since been proven incorrect.In March 1984, a study tracked Dugas, along with other gay and bisexual men, to indicate his role in a particular cluster of 40 AIDS cases in the United States. He was named "Patient O", with "O" standing for "Out-of-California". A 1987 book about the epidemic, And the Band Played On, used the term "Patient Zero" and put significant focus on Dugas, with media reports expanding his role in the epidemic further. A 2016 study confirmed that Dugas did not bring HIV to the United States, and he was not Patient Zero, via genetic analysis of stored blood samples, supported by historical detective work.Dugas worked as a flight attendant for Air Canada and died in Quebec City in March 1984 as a result of kidney failure caused by AIDS-related infections.