HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. It destroys white blood cells, specifically, CD4 lymphocytes, which are the cells in charge of manufacturing antibodies to combat infections. The final stage of infection by the virus is called AIDS. It means “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” and not everybody with HIV develops it.
Infection by HIV occurs solely through the following fluids of infected people: blood, semen, vaginal discharge, preseminal fluid and mother’s milk. It is not transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks or other insects. Neither is it transmitted via conversation, shaking hands, sneezing, sharing plates or drinks, bathrooms, telephones or computers. It is not transmitted in saliva, tears or sweat.
Once HIV enters the body, three phases occur. In the first, patients may feel as if they have the flu for weeks. A large amount of the virus exists in the blood so the infection can be transmitted easily. In the second phase, patients may be asymptomatic for several decades without developing AIDS. The virus remains active but reproduces at very low levels. In the third phase, the viral load is high and furthermore serious deterioration of the immune system occurs, leading to the appearance of opportunistic infections and/or neoplasms.
Analysis is undertaken to detect antibodies against the virus in blood or saliva. When the body is infected with HIV, it begins to produce antibodies to try to combat the virus. HIV detection tests search for the presence of these antibodies, not the virus itself.
Medication against HIV, or antiretroviral drugs, stop the virus from reproducing, reducing its viral load. Since there is a lower concentration of HIV in the organism, the immune system has a greater possibility of recovering though it cannot thoroughly eliminate the virus. The immune system is strong enough to combat the infections and certain types of cancer related to HIV. Treatment furthermore reduces the risk of HIV transmission.
No definitive cure exists, making HIV a chronic disease. With suitable medical care and treatment, it can be controlled. Treating the disease as soon as possible means that patients’ life expectancies are increasingly higher.
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