What Is AIDS?

What is AIDS?
AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is a disease caused by the HIV virus.
In this condition, a person’s immune system becomes too weak to fight any kind of
infection or disease. AIDS is usually the last stage of HIV infection; a stage where the
body can no longer defend itself and thus spawns various diseases. AIDS, when
untreated, leads to death.
AIDS is an advanced HIV infection or late-stage HIV. Someone with AIDS may
develop a wide range of health conditions like – pneumonia, thrush, fungal
infections, TB, toxoplasmosis.
There is also an increased risk of developing a medical illness like cancer and brain
illnesses. CD4 count refers to the number of T-lymphocytes in a cubic millimetre of
blood. A person may be referred to as “AIDS-affected” when the CD4 count drops
below 200 cells per cubic millimetre of blood.
Causes of AIDS
The main causes of AIDS is a disorder of cell mediated immune system of the body.
The disorder is characterized by a reduction in the number of helper. T-cell which
stimulate antibody production by B-cells. This result in the loss of natural defense
against viral infection.
Transmission of AIDS Virus:
It is only transmitted by a direct contact of infected cells - containing blood of patient

to the blood of a healthy person as in -
1) Sexual intercourse with an infected partner if there is tissue injury to permit blood
contact.
2) Use of contaminated needles and syringes to inject drugs or vaccines.
3) Use of contaminated razors, needles for boring pinnae.
4) Transfusion of infected blood or blood product.
5) Organ transplant.
6) Artificial insemination.
7) Parturition from mother to baby due to rupturing of blood vessels.
How Do I Know If I Have HIV?
Most people cannot tell that they have been exposed to, or have acquired, HIV. Initial,
or acute, symptoms of HIV infection may show up within two to four weeks of
exposure to HIV, and can include:
Fever
Swollen glands
Sore throat
Night sweats
Muscle aches
Headache
Extreme tiredness
Rash
Some people do not have any symptoms or do not notice the symptoms because
they are mild, or they think they have a cold or the flu. After these "flu-like" symptoms
disappear, people living with HIV can go for years without showing any symptoms.
The only way to know for sure if you are living with HIV is to take an HIV test.
If you have some of the initial or acute symptoms of HIV, it is important that you be
tested for HIV antigen (not just HIV antibody). Antigens are pieces of the HIV virus,
or viral particles. If an HIV antigen is in your blood, tests can identify HIV acquisition
as soon as two weeks after you have been exposed to the virus.
Antibodies are proteins that your body makes to mark HIV for destruction by your
immune system. The body takes one to three months and occasionally up to six
months to develop these antibodies. This three- to six-month period between
acquiring HIV and the production of antibodies is called the "window period."
Therefore, tests that detect antibodies are only reliable one to three months after you
have been exposed to HIV
Blood test
Diagnosis is made through a blood test that screens specifically for the virus.
If the HIV virus has been found, the test result is "positive". The blood is re-
tested several times before a positive result is given to the patient.
For those whose tests came back positive, they will be asked to undergo
some other tests to see how the infection has progressed, and also to
decide when to start treatment.
If a person has been exposed to the virus, it is crucial that they get tested as
soon as possible. The earlier HIV is detected, the more likely the treatment
will be successful. Also,
precautions can be takento
prevent the virus from spreading
to other people.
ELISA Test?
An enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay, also called ELISA or ElA, is a test that detects and
measures antibodies in your blood. This test can be used to determine if you
have antibodies related to certain infectious conditions. Antibodies are
proteins that your body produces in responseto harmful substances called
antigens. An ELISA test may be used to diagnose
PREVENTIONS FROM AIDS
Following steps may help in controlling this dreaded disease.

i) People particularly those in high-risk group should be educated about AIDS
transmission.
ii) High risk group should refrain from blood donation.
iii) Disposable needles and syringes should be used.
iv) Sexual habits should change immediately.
v) Before receiving blood, ensure that it has been screened for HIV.
vi) Routine screening may be done in
a) Blood Donors,
b) Organ Donors
c) Donors of semen and growth hormone,
d) Patient receiving haemodialysis
e) Females in high-risk group, who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy.
Chastity, lifelong monogamy, and a clean needle for each injection are the only ways to
prevents the spread of AIDS. This measure will succeed only in persons not already
infected.
Major causes & steps to prevent it
REASONS:-
(i) Low-level of socio-economic development.
(ii) Low health consciousness and facilities
(iii) A growing unmarried youth population due to delayed marriage
(iv) High rate of labour migration.
(v) Low level of literacy among high-risk groups.
(vi)High incidence of sexuality transmitted diseases and reproductive tract infections
among men and women.
Steps taken to prevent the spreading of AIDS:

(i) National AIDS programme of south East Asian countries is beginning to yield
encouraging results. The 100% condom use programme in Thailand and the
Sonagachi project in Calcutta, a model peer education programme among sex
workers, have helped bring down AIDS infection and also reduced the incidence of
STD.
(ii) Non-government organizations have brought Baptist interest litigations against such cases of
discrimination and the courts have pronounced the rights of such peoples. This has helped alleviate
the misery of affected persons.
CONCLUSION
After studying the cause and effects of ‘AIDS’ from different views, we conclude that it is a pandemic
disease. It is mainly spreading sexually and person of the age group of 25-45 years are the most
affected group. There are some methods like ‘Antiviral Therapy’ and Immuno Stimulative therapy
which bring some hope that even then no specific treatment has been found so for and morality
form is virtually 100%. So only prevention in the test medicine care.
OBSERVATION
AIDS immersed as pandemic disease. It is nondurable. It is more common in
developing countries. Now every day 1000 peoples are going to become HIV
infected in world. This is mainly due to blood transfusion & Sexual contact. In whole
world about 3 crore 30 lakhs people are HIV +ve & in India 3 lakh 70 thousand are
HIV +ve. The number of HIV +ve persons are higher in Tamilnadu Bombay, Calcutta
and Kerala and Manipur
HYPOTHESIS
AIDS is non curable due to its nature of pathogen. It also damage immune
system of the body. Therefore any medicine (Antiviral) drugs are not
effective against HIV virus. Ignorance and lack of knowledge about this
disease is the root cause of wide spread of this disease Malaria is one ofthe
major diseases which is caused by Protozoan. Protozoan causes many
diseases in human beings. Malaria has been for thousands of years a very
serious disease of the tropical and temperate regions. Prevalence of malaria
continues to be one of the major health problems of developing countries. It
wasalmost eliminated a few years back with the efforts of WHO and our
National Malaria Eradication Programme (NMEP), but unfortunately it has
appeared again. Plasmodium is a genus of Protozoa belonging to subphylum
Sporozoa, class Telosporidea, includes causative agent of malaria in man
and lower animals. Membersof the genus plasmodium are collectively
known as Malaria parasite, because they cause a horrible disease called
malaria.

What Is AIDS?

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What Is AIDS?

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What is AIDS?

Transmission of AIDS Virus:

It is only transmitted by a direct contact of infected cells - containing blood of patient

Following steps may help in controlling this dreaded disease.

Steps taken to prevent the spreading of AIDS:

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