Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the disease caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), is a global epidemic with approximately 33.4 million people currently living with HIV and AIDS and more than 2 million dying each year from AIDS related illness as reported by Avert. The HIV virus damages the immune system so that patients suffering from AIDS do not have the ability to effectively fight off infections. Patients often die due to the complications that arise because of their weakened immune system.
Bacterial Infections
Patients with AIDS are highly susceptible to contracting bacterial infections that can result in life-threatening illness. Tuberculosis, a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is the leading cause of death among patients with HIV according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tuberculosis and AIDS are a dangerous combination because those infected with HIV are not only more likely to become infected with tuberculosis, but the infection is also more likely to become active. In addition, the presence of tuberculosis increases the rate at which the HIV virus replicates, advancing AIDS even faster.
Other potentially dangerous bacterial infections include bacterial pneumonia that affects the respiratory system; mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) that affects the respiratory system as well as the bone marrow, spleen and liver; salmonellosis, a digestive tract illness contracted through contaminated food or water; and bacilliary angiomatosis that can cause skin rashes.
Viral Infections
The depressed immune system resulting from HIV also leaves AIDS patients susceptible to other viral infections. Cytomegalovirus is commonly found in the bodily fluids of healthy individuals, but in those with an inadequate immune system the virus can cause damage to the lungs, digestive tract and eyes even leading to blindness.
Viral hepatitis, an infection of the liver, is also common in AIDS patients. The damage to the liver is more pronounced in those with HIV because their medications increase the incidence of liver toxicity.
Herpes simplex virus and human papillomavirus, two sexually transmitted viral infections are also more severe in AIDS patients.
Fungal Infections
Cryptococcal meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes of the brain (called meninges), is caused by Cryptococcal neoformans, a yeast that is commonly found in soil. This fungal infection is a common complication for patients with AIDS, according to the doctors at the Mayo Clinic. Like other forms of meningitis, this can be a life-threatening illness that can cause permanent brain damage or death in a short period of time.
Cancers
Patients with AIDS have an increased risk of developing certain types of cancers. Kaposi's sarcoma, a tumor of the blood vessel walls, very rarely occurs in patients who are not infected with HIV according to the doctors at the Mayo Clinic. The cancer causes red or purple lesions on the skin or mouth and can also affect internal organs such as the digestive tract and lungs that can result in internal bleeding and difficulty breathing.
Eight to 27 percent of all non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer that begins in a type of white blood cell known as the lymphocytes, occurs in AIDS patients according to the Patient Centered Guide. In addition, the cancer is more aggressive and grows more rapidly in those with AIDS.
