AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficency virus or HIV.The old name of this virus is HTLV-III/LAV.The virus destroys the white blood cells, resulting in loss of immunity.
AIDS is transmitted sexually and through blood.AIDS can be transmitted homosexually(sex among the same gender), hetrosexually(sex amongst different gender).A pregnant can also pass the disease to her unborn child as the virus can pass through the placenta.Transmission through blood is commonly among intravenous drug users who share needles and in blood transfusion products.
The sympotms of AIDs are divided into 4 stages.
Stage 1(Acute HIV infection)- 3 to 8 weeeks after the virus enters the body, the patient may have fever,headache,sore throat and swollen lymph nodes.The virus will be distributed throughout the body during this time.
Stage 2(Asymptomatic)- In this stage of the disease, no symptoms are experienced by the patients.However, the number of white blood cells decreases rapidly.
Stage 3-The weakening of the immune system results in opportunistic infection, which a normal body is able to fight off. These infections include Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis carnii pneumonia,which are rare diseases.Other symptoms include weight loss,fatigue, coughs and colds.
Stage 4(Advanced AIDS)- The immune system is severly weakend by this time and a combination of cancers and infections occur.This is the final stage of HIV infection and death will result.
The is no effective treatment for AIDS.treatment includes only drugs to slow down the rate at which the virus multiplies and this in turn slows down the destruction of the body's immune system.Such drugs include AZT and the recenlty available protease inhibitors.Other treatments include treating the opportunistic infections itself.
Prevention of AIDS is similar to other sexually-transmitted diseases.Avoid promiscious sexual behaviour and the use of condoms which prevents the virus from entering.Blood must be screened and mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy can be reduced by the use of AZT .
