Yinzibing (阴滋病) refers to an unverified disease. AIDS-like symptoms were reported by people who suspected or claimed that they had caught such disease, but these people were negative in the HIV tests.
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).[1][2]
In 2011, there were rumors that an AIDS-like disease was spreading in Mainland China, which got the attention of the media of China and Hong Kong. Related news coverages circulated on the internet, got attention of internet users, and reminded people of the time of SARS.[3] It was reported that people with "yinzibing" had AIDS-like symptoms such as hypodermic hemorrhage, weak immune system, swollen lymph glands, etc., but they were negative in HIV tests. An investigation had been started in places with more cases such as Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangsu, and Guangdong.[4] The Chinese Ministry of Health had conducted an epidemiological investigation.
The Disease Prevention and Control Bureau of China stated that no new virus was found and that the so-called yinzibing was a mental health problem as an AIDS phobia.[5][6]
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.[7] However, a follow-up study published in the same journal in 2019 suggested the symptoms are explainable as chronic fatigue syndrome.[8]