World AIDS Day…

Hello all,
    Today is World AIDS Day… As you all know, this deadly disease is taking over our world due to the sheer fact of illiteracy. I don’t have to mention about, or talk about AIDS, because all of you are quite aware of what the disease is, how it is spread, and its problems…

    My only request is that, change your adverse opinion. i.e. If you have a bad opinion towards people affected by AIDS, rather than showing disgust, or even sympathy, show compassion, and care.

    If you have any questions about AIDS, visit the UN AIDS Site. Anyway, a few short questions, answered - courtesy UNAIDS.

1 What is HIV?

HIV
stands for ‘human immunodeficiency virus’. HIV is a retrovirus that
infects cells of the human immune system (mainly CD4 positive T cells
and macrophages—key components of the cellular immune system), and
destroys or impairs their function. Infection with this virus results
in the progressive depletion of the immune system, leading to ‘immune
deficiency’.

The immune system is considered deficient when
it can no longer fulfil its role of fighting off infection and
diseases. Immunodeficient people are much more vulnerable to a wide
range of infections, most of which are very rare among people without
immune deficiency. Diseases associated with severe immunodeficiency are
known as ‘opportunistic infections’, because they take advantage of a
weakened immune system.

2 What is AIDS?

AIDS
stands for ‘acquired immunodeficiency syndrome’ and describes the
collection of symptoms and infections associated with acquired
deficiency of the immune system. Infection with HIV has been
established as the underlying cause of AIDS. The level of HIV in the
body and the appearance of certain infections are used as indicators
that HIV infection has progressed to AIDS.

3 What are the symptoms of HIV?

Most
people infected with HIV do not know that they have become infected,
because no symptoms develop immediately after the initial infection.
Some people have a glandular fever-like illness (with fever, rash,
joint pains and enlarged lymph nodes), which can occur at the time of
seroconversion. Seroconversion refers to the development of antibodies
to HIV and usually takes place between 6 weeks and 3 months after an
infection has occurred.

Despite
the fact that HIV infection does not cause any initial symptoms, an
HIV-infected person is highly infectious and can transmit the virus to
another person. The only way to determine whether HIV is present in a person’s body is by taking an HIV test.

HIV
infection causes a gradual depletion and weakening of the immune
system. This results in an increased susceptibility of the body to
infections and can lead to the development of AIDS.

4 When does a person have AIDS?

The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection.

The
majority of people infected with HIV, if not treated, develop signs of
AIDS within 8-10 years. AIDS is identified on the basis of certain
infections, grouped by the World Health Organization:

  • Stage 1 HIV disease is asymptomatic and not categorized as AIDS
  • Stage II (includes minor mucocutaneous manifestations and recurrent upper respiratory tract infections)
  • Stage III (includes unexplained chronic diarrhoea for longer than a month, severe bacterial infections and pulmonary tuberculosis) or
  • Stage IV
    (includes Toxoplasmosis of the brain, Candidiasis of the oesophagus,
    trachea, bronchi or lungs and Kaposi’s Sarcoma) HIV disease are used as
    indicators of AIDS.

Most of these conditions are opportunistic infections that can be treated easily in healthy people.

5 How quickly do people infected with HIV develop AIDS?

The
length of time can vary widely between individuals. With a healthy
lifestyle, the time between infection with HIV and becoming ill with
AIDS can be 10–15 years, sometimes longer. Antiretroviral therapy can
slow down the progression of AIDS by decreasing viral load in an
infected body.

The deadly HIV Virus…

    Much much much more information can be obtained from the above mentioned site… But remember… Attitude… :)


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December 1, 2006 | Filed Under General Healthcare, General World | Leave a Comment 

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