Microbiology Diseases



WHAT IS HIV?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a lentrivirus (subgroup of retrovirus) that causes HIV infection and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. AIDS is a condition in humans in which failure of the immune system allows life threatening infections and cancers without treatment average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years depending on subtype

CAUSES

1. Having Sex: You can become infected of you have vaginal,anal, or oral sex with an infected partner whose blood,semen,or vaginal secretions enter your body. Virus can enter through mouth sores,or small tears that sometimes develop in the rectum or virgins during sex.
2. Blood Transfusions: May be transmitted through blood transfusions. Risk are small because Blood Banks and American Hospitals now screen.
3. Sharing Needles: HIV can be transmitted through contaminated needles and syringes with infected blood.
4. During pregnancy or delivery or through breastfeeding: Infected mothers can infect their babies but receiving treatment during pregnancy can lower risk.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Fever
• headache
• muscle aches
• rash
• chills
• sore throat
• joint pain
• night sweats
• diarrhea
• weight loss
• swollen lymph glands
• mouth or genital ulcers

EFFECTS ON THE BODY

• eating problem
• seizures
• shingles
• neuropathy
• strain on the heart
• skin sores
• pulmonary arterial infection
• balance issues

Treatment
There are many treatments that can help with HIV their are also medicines that can slow the growth of the virus or stop it from making copies of its self.

References
healthline.com
hiv.va.gov
Wikipedia.org