HIV and AIDS
HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency virus which infects the cells of the immune system in humans. Classified as a member of the subfamily of Retroviridae called Lentiviruses, HIV is one of the few known Lentiviruses, other examples being maedivisna virus (found in sheep), equine anemia (found in horses), and encephalitis-arthritis virus (found in goats).
Found to infect and grow in mature T-helper lymphocytes, specifically the CD4+ T cells, HIV spreads from cell to cell by replication while killing all infected cells and rendering other cells that recognize infected cells useless. The process in which the virus is spread among cells develops the virus’s immunity from antibodies.
AIDS is the most advanced infection of HIV and stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The term “syndrome” is appropriately used for AIDS because it does not present in a single illness but rather in varied clinical and life-threatening diseases.
HIV can remain silent and inactive for years and then replicate once again, therefore taking long periods for HIV to progress into AIDS. Recent developments in medical research produced certain drugs that prolong and slow down the process.
Early studies on AIDS found that only heterosexual men were infected. Thus, AIDS was, for a short time, called as GRID or gay-related immunodeficiency diseases. Months later, it was found that drug users and blood transfusion receivers were infected and presented the same symptoms and immunodeficiency cases.
HIV infection is now considered pandemic, killing about twenty-five million since its discovery in early 1980s. HIV is transmitted through exposure to infected blood transfusions, semen and cervical secretions, and breast milk. An HIV positive mother can also transmit the virus to her baby.
