Arne Vidar Røed (23 July 1946 – 24 April 1976), known in medical literature by the anagram Arvid Darre Noe, was a Norwegian sailor and truck driver who contracted one of the earliest confirmed cases of HIV/AIDS.
[1] The researchers studying the cases referred to Røed as the "Norwegian sailor", or the anagram "Arvid Darre Noe" to conceal his identity.
By 1968, Røed was no longer a sailor and was working as a long haul truck driver throughout Europe, mainly in West Germany.
Approximately a decade after Røed's death, tests by Dr Stig Sophus Frøland of the Oslo National Hospital concluded that blood samples from Røed, his daughter and wife all tested positive for HIV.
[3] Based on research conducted after his death, Røed is believed to have contracted HIV in Cameroon in 1961 or 1962, where he was known to have been sexually active with many African women, including sex workers.