 Chatwin 's case was unusual as he had a fungal infection , Penicillium <unk> , which at the time had rarely been seen and only in South Asia . It is now known as an AIDS @-@ defining illness , but in 1986 little was known about HIV and AIDS . Doctors were not certain if all cases of HIV developed into AIDS . The rare fungus gave Chatwin hope that he might be different and served as the basis of what he told most people about his illness . He gave various reasons for how he became infected with the fungus — ranging from eating a 1 @,@ 000 @-@ year @-@ old egg to exploring a bat cave in Indonesia . He never publicly disclosed that he was HIV @-@ positive because of the stigma at the time . He wanted to protect his parents , who were unaware of his homosexual affairs . 
