HIV-which stands for human immunodeficiency virus-is thought to affect around 35 million people worldwide. Yet, for this sort of globally present disease, no cure or preventative substance has been found. So what is HIV? And just how can it correspond with AIDS?
As stated earlier, HIV comes from a virus, which can be transmitted solely through certain bodily fluids: blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. However, these liquids are definitely more or less harmless, unless they contact open wounds, an eye fixed, the rectum, the nose, the vagina, the outlet of your penis, as well as mouth of one other person. At these times, herpes is provided usage of their blood and can even infect them. We have witnessed no recorded cases of HIV transmission involving hardly any blood contacting intact skin.
If infected, anybody often exhibits flu-like symptoms, a stage generally known as acute retroviral syndrome (ARS). In this stage-which occurs within 2-4 weeks after infection-large numbers of the virus are created our bodies. The virus then begins destroying important disease fighting capability cells referred to as CD4 cells, putting the individual at a potential risk for infecting others.
After quite some time, the body’s defence mechanism sets out to achieve foothold up against the virus, bringing it backtrack with a stable level. Soon, the HIV-positive person reaches the clinical latency stage-which, if it is given antiretroviral therapy (ART), is decades. (Otherwise, it lasts for as many as A decade’s).
Eventually, CD4 cell levels begin to drop because the virus starts overcome the defense mechanisms, triggering the AIDS stage.
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) takes place when the infection has badly damaged the body’s defence mechanism, leaving those at risk from infections and opportunistic cancers. A diagnosis of AIDS requires blood CD4 variety of below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood, as well as expansion of an opportunistic illness, irrespective of CD4 count. With no treatment, people identified as having AIDS live for only 1-3 years.
While deficiency of preventative medications and vaccines or maybe a cure may frighten some whorrrre HIV-positive, the actual therapies allow most people to reside long and full life.
(Image credit: Thinkstock)