AIDS

AIDS

AA acquired – contagious, not born with it

II immune - dealing with the body’s defense system

DD deficiency – decreased defense capability

SS syndrome – a collection of symptoms and infections

HIV

HH human –virus whose host is a person

II immunodeficiency – decreasing immune function in a person

VV virus – a retrovirus, surrounded by a protein coat, a nucleic acid virus that can self reproduce

HIV Diagram

Origin of HIV

First diagnosed in the U.S. in 1981

Assumed to have begun in Africa

Possibly transferred from chimpanzees to humans during slaughtering

Probably went from Africa to Haiti to the United States

Has killed more than 25 million people, making it the most destructive epidemic in history

Stages of HIV infection

Stages of HIV infection

Window periodTime of exposure to infectionUsually less than 6 months

Person can be contagious, but not test positive

Stages of HIV infection

Asymptomatic HIV+ stageInfection begins

No symptoms, but contagiousMay last from 2 -12+ years

Window periodTime of exposure to infectionUsually less than 6 months

Person can be contagious, but not test positive

Stages of HIV infectionSymptomatic HIV+ stage

Fewer than 200 CD4+ T cells per microliter of bloodKaposi’s sarcoma (cancer)Pneumocystis pneumoniaOpportunistic infections

Last months to a few years

Asymptomatic HIV+ stageInfection begins

No symptoms, but contagiousMay last from 2 -12+ years

Window periodTime of exposure to infectionUsually less than 6 months

Person can be contagious, but not test positive

Testing and Treatment

There are HIV tests available

There is no vaccine or cure for AIDS.

There are medications that slow down the process of destruction.

Prevention is the best hope.