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AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is caused by the virus HIV or commonly known as the human immunodeficiency virus. These two viral infections are life threatening that attacks the body’s immune system. The body’s immune system that always produces T-cell lymphocytes or infection fighting cells will be destroyed once the virus got through the body. When this happens, the body can no longer defend itself to diseases and tumors. Once the body is weakening, various infections called opportunistic infections takes advantage of the body. This infection causes death when the body is already disabled to protect itself. AIDS is the state of the body when being controlled by an opportunistic infection. Causes AIDS virus can only be passed when an infected person’s blood or body fluids be mix with the other person’s body fluids. The mixing of the body fluids will occur when transacting activities such as unprotected sexual activity, giving birth of an HIV infected woman, and blood transfusions. The following people who are at high risk of getting HIV infection and possible development to AIDS are homosexual men with more than one sexual partner; bisexual men and their partners; drug users and their sexual partners; people who shares needle for drug use, tattoo, and piercing; heterosexuals with more than one sexual partner; people who get blood transfusion, unscreened blood get passed when urgent blood transfusion are needed. Symptoms -Fever
that last for a month,
with no obvious cause -Prolonged periods of chills,
sweats
and fatigue with no obvious cause -Lost of appetite and weight -Unexplained muscle and joint
pain -Unexplained intervals of having sore throat -Prolonged swelling of the lymph nodes -Continous unexplained diarrhea for a month or so -Mouth or vagina infection for a month Several frequent opportunistic diseases that affects someone with AIDS are Kaposi's sarcoma, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), tuberculosis, meningitis, and herpes simplex infections. |
