Recognized in the early 1980s, HIV/AIDS has reached epidemic proportions with more than 33 million infected individuals worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Although no cure or vaccine exists, advances in science and medicine and increased public education have helped in preventing infections as well as extending the life of infected individuals.
HIV
HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is the virus that leads to AIDS. There are two types of the HIV virus: Types 1 and 2. HIV-1 is the most common strain of the virus found in the United States. The virus lives and replicates in the body fluids of humans and attacks and destroys important immune system cells. Unlike other viruses, such as the flu, HIV is unable to be cleared from the body by the immune system. It is believed that the HIV virus originated from a virus in West African chimpanzees several hundred years ago, according to AIDS.gov.
AIDS
Once infected with HIV, the virus progressively damages and weakens the immune system to the point that AIDS develops. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is a chronic, life-threatening condition and is the last stage of an HIV infection. It can take as little as a few years or as long as decades to progress to AIDS, depending on the course of treatment and health of the individual, among other factors, according to MayoClinic.com.
Spread
HIV lives in the body fluids of humans, such as blood, semen and vaginal fluids, and breast milk. Therefore, the virus spreads when an infected individual's body fluids are able to enter another individual. The most common routes of transmission include unprotected intercourse, sharing of unsterilized needles or by mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, birth or breast-feeding, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is important to note that HIV is not spread through the air or water or by insects, shaking hands and closed-mouth kissing.
Symptoms
Symptoms of an HIV infection depend on the stage of the disease and vary considerably among individuals. Within a few weeks of infection, individuals will often experience a short bout of flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills and nausea. As the infection progresses, it is common for individuals to have no symptoms at all for several years, according to MayoClinic.com. However, during this time the virus is replicating and slowly destroying immune system cells. As the immune system becomes weaker, swollen lymph nodes, fever, diarrhea and weight loss may be present. As AIDS develops, the body is highly susceptible to opportunistic infections, such as tuberculosis, meningitis and salmonellosis. It is the body's inability to fight off these infections that leads to death when diagnosed with AIDS.
Treatment
There is no cure for AIDS, but anti-viral drug treatments have come a long way in recent years to better control the disease. Several classes of anti-viral drugs exist and it is often best to take a combination of different classes for the most effective treatment, according to MayoClinic.com. The drugs work by blocking replication of the virus or preventing destruction of certain immune cells. Anti-retroviral therapy can be difficult for some as multiple pills must be taken at specific times each day for the rest of the individual's life, but it can help reduce viral load and extend life significantly.
