Final answer:
The World Health Organization predicted that the HIV virus would infect 40 million people by the year 2000. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has spread rapidly since its recognition in the early 1980s, infecting over 60 million people worldwide and causing the deaths of over 20 million individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The virus that the World Health Organization predicted would infect 40 million people by the year 2000 is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The HIV/AIDS pandemic has spread rapidly since it was first recognized in the early 1980s. It has infected more than 60 million people worldwide and has caused the deaths of over 20 million individuals. The disease primarily affects low- and middle-income countries, with Sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected region.