Among the various diseases which are constantly hampering human health, AIDS is one of them. AIDS is caused by HIV or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections.
Infection with HIV or AIDS occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is there as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. HIV can be transmitted through 4 major ways: unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated needles, breast milk and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth.
As of January 2006, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization has estimated that more than 25 million people have been killed by AIDS. In 2005 alone, AIDS has taken an estimated 2.4 to 3.3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children.
HIV primarily infects the vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. With the killing of the fundamental body cells, the chances of health risks increases and in many cases the individual dies.
Eventually most HIV-infected individuals develop AIDS. People suffering from AIDS mostly die from opportunistic infections or malignancies associated with the progressive failure of the immune system.
At present, there is no vaccine or cure for HIV or AIDS. The only known method of prevention is avoiding exposure to the virus. However, an antiretroviral treatment known as the post-exposure prophylaxis is believed to reduce the risk of infection if started directly after exposure. The current treatment for HIV infection consists of highly active antiretroviral therapy, commonly known as HAART.
Listed below are some common HIV symptoms:
- Rapid loss of weight
- Recurring fever or profuse night sweats
- Dry cough
- Profound and unexplained fatigue
- Woolen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck
- White spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, mouth, or throat
- Pneumonia
- Diarrhea lasting for more than a week
- Memory loss, depression, and other neurological disorders