AIDS, its symptoms and prevention measures are discussed

1. AIDS
SHRASTI SINGH
MSC PREVIOUS ZOOLOGY
BAREILLY COLLEGE,BAREILLY

2. DEFINITION
• AIDS STANDS FOR ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME .
• PEOPLE WITH AIDS HAVE WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT MAKES THEM
VULNERABLE TO MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND INFECTIONS.
• ITS INCUBATION PERIOD IS FROM FEW MONTHS TO 10 YEARS.
• 37.9 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE CURRENTLY LIVING WITH HIV OR AIDS.
• HIV KILLED MORE THAN 25 MILLION PEOPLE.

3. INFECTIOUS AGENT- HIV
• HIV- HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS.
• THE VIRUS CAN BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH CONTACT
WITH INFECTED BLOOD, SEMEN OR VAGINAL FLUIDS.
• IT’S A VIRUS THAT TARGETS CELLS IN THE IMMUNE
SYSTEM.
• OVERTIME, IMMUNE SYSTEM BEGINS TO FAIL WHICH IS
CALLED IMMUNODEFICIENCY, AND THIS INCREASE THE
RISK OF INFECTION AND TUMOURS.

4. NOW, THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT TYPES OF HIV-
• HIV -1
• HIV -2
• HIV-1 IS THE MOST COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH AIDS IN THE US AND
WORLDWIDE.
• HIV-2 IS MORE RARE, AND TYPICALLY RESTRICTED TO AREAS IN WESTERN
AFRICA AND SOUTHERN ASIA.
• HIV 2 IS UNCOMMON THAT HIV ALMOST REFERS TO THE HIV 1.

7. TRANSMISSION
• HIV TARGETS CD4+ CELLS.
• THE CELLS THAT HAVE THIS SPECIFIC MOLECULE CALLED CD4+ ON THEIR
MEMBRANE.
• MACROPHAGES, T- HELPER CELLS AND DENDRITIC CELLS ARE ALL INVOLVED IN
IMMUNE RESPONSE AND ALL HAVE CD4+ MOLECULE, THEREFORE THEY CAN BE
TARGETED BY HIV.
• THE CD4+ MOLECULE HELPS THESE CELLS ATTACH TO AND COMMUNICATE
WITH OTHER IMMUNE CELLS, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT WHEN THE
CELLS ARE LAUNCHING ATTACKS AGAINST FOREIGN PATHOGENS.
• HIV TARGETS AND ATTACHES TO THE CD4 MOLECULE VIA A PROTEIN GP120
FOUND ON ITS ENVELOPE .
• HIV AGAIN USES GP120 TO ATTACH TO ANOTHER RECEPTOR CALLED CO-

8. • THE MOST COMMON CO- RECEPTOR THAT HIV USES IS CXCR4 OR CCR5 WHICH ARE
MAINLY FOUND ON T-CELLS, MACROPHAGES, MONOCYTES AND DENDRITIC CELLS.
• HIV IS A SINGLE STRANDED, POSITIVE- SENSE,
ENVELOPED RNA RETROVIRUS AND INJECTS IT’S
SINGLE STRAND OF RNA INTO T- HELPER CELL.
• IT REQUIRES AN ENZYME CALLED REVERSE
TRANSCRIPTASE TO TRANSCRIBE A DOUBLE STRANDED
PIECE OF PROVIRAL DNA.
• PROVIRAL DNA ENTERS T-HELPER CELL’S NUCLEUS
AND POPS ITSELF INTO THE CELL’S DNA.
• THE IMMUNE CELLS ENDS UP TRANSCRIBING AND TRANSLATING NEW HIV VIRUSES,
WHICH BUD OFF FROM THE CELL MEMBRANE AND INFECTS MORE CELLS.

9. SIGN AND SYMPTOMS
• PAIN IN ABDOMEN.
• DIFFICULTY IN SWALLOWING AND SORENESS.
• FATIGUE, FEVER, LOSS OF APPETITE , NIGHT SWEATS.
• ULCERS OR WHITE TONGUE.
• SEVERE WEIGHT LOSS, SKIN RASH, SWOLLEN LYMPH NODES.
• PNEUMONIA , ORAL THRUSH.

10. DIAGNOSIS
1. ANTIBODY TEST-
ANTIBODY TESTS LOOK FOR ANTIBODIES THAT THE BODY MADE AGAINST HIV.
2. ANTIGEN TEST-
ANTIGEN TESTS LOOK FOR THE VIRUS DIRECTLY SO ANTIBODY/ANTIGEN
TESTS DETECT BOTH ANTIBODIES TO THE VIRUS AS WELL AS THE VIRUS
ITSELF.
3. RNA/DNA TEST-
RNA TESTS SCREEN FOR VIRAL RNA, SO THEY ALSO DETECT THE VIRUS
DIRECTLY.

11. • DNA TESTS LOOK FOR COPIES OF THE VIRAL RNA
(SINCE REMEMBER IT’S A RETROVIRUS SO IT COPIES
ITS GENETIC MATERIAL INTO DNA).
• MOST RECOMMENDED TEST IS THE ANTIBODY/ ANTIGEN
TEST, WHICH IS BETTER AT IDENTIFYING EARLY INFECTION.
• IT’S ALSO RECOMMENDED, IF THE FIRST TEST IS POSITIVE
TO FOLLOW IT WITH A CONFIRMATORY TEST THAT
LOOKS FOR ANTIBODY OR NUCLEIC ACID.

12. TREATMENT
• THERE’S CURRENTLY NO CURE FOR AIDS; TREATMENT HOWEVER, CAN HELP
SOMEBODY WITH AIDS TO LIVE LONGER, HEALTHIER AND HELP REDUCE THE RISK
OF TRANSMISSION.
• THE PRIMARY METHOD IS TO USE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY OR ART.
• ART ISN’T A SINGLE MEDICINE, BUT A COMBINATION OF MEDICINES THAT HAS
KNOWN AS AN HIV REGIMEN.
• THESE HELP SLOW DOWN HIV REPLICATION, WHICH GIVES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
A CHANCE TO RECOVER AND HELP FIGHT OFF OTHER INFECTIONS MORE
EFFECTIVELY .

13. PREVENTION
• STRATEGIES SUCH AS:
1. ABSTINENCE
2. NEVER SHARING NEEDLES
3. PROTECTION DURING INTERCOURSE.
4. PREVENT MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION BY BREAST MILK.

14. MEDICINAL PREVENTION
1. PREP(PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS)-
THIS MEDICINE IS USED TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF GETTING VIRUS.
OR
FOR SOMEONE WHO IS AT HIGH RISK OF HIV INFECTION.
2. PEP(POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS)
PEP MEANS TAKING HIV MEDICINES WITHIN 72 HOURS AFTER A POSSIBLE
EXPOSURE TO HIV
TO PREVENT HIV INFECTION.