Introduction to AIDS, structure of HIV and its stages

Introduction to AIDS, structure of HIV and its stages

 We often come across people suffering from various diseases. Most of which can be cured, however there are some diseases which have not found a cure till now. One of them is AIDS, about three million people died due to AIDS in 2003 and the disease is still spreading at an alarming rate. It affects people of all caste, creed, color, age and gender. UNAIDS (United Nations AIDS), UNICEF (United Nations international children's education fund and WHO (World Health Organization) have risen to the occasion large funds are being provided and efforts are being taken to check the spread of the disease. Despite the efforts, the disease continues to spread due to lack of awareness about the disease of its virus, the modes of transmission of the virus and a careless lifestyle. 

AIDS is caused by the HIV, HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. Its name has been   derived from reasons like its ability to infect only humans. Its effect by creating a deficiency within the body's immune system and the fact that it is a wires that reproduces not by itself but by taking over the machinery of the human cell. HIV has belongs to the lentivirus subgroup of the retroviridae family and is a RNA (ribonucleic acid virus) responsible for weakling the human immune system gradually leading to AIDS. it was discovered by Luc Montagnier in 1983 in Paris and Robert Gallo at USA in 1984. AIDS is an acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome and is a late stage of infection with HIV. The development of AIDS can take more than eight to ten years to post the infection. The name acquired immune deficiency syndrome AIDS has derived from reasons.

1)   It has an acquired infection since a person is not born with the virus.

2)   The ability of the virus to affect a person's immune system that is the body's natural protection against diseases and making it deficient and

3)    It being a group of diseases symptoms since the victim may experience a wide range of diseases and opportunistic infections.

            In a short span of 22 years, HIV infection has spread from a few cases in USA to all over the world. By December 2003, 37 million adults and 2.5 million children below 15 years of age were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Out of which 3 million died during 2003 alone around 5 million children acquired HIV more than 50% of the new infections are occurring in the age group of 15 to 24 years today. South Africa is a country with the greatest number of HIV infected people in the world followed by India. In India, the first HIV infected person was detected in April 1986 and first AIDS patient in May 1986 in Chennai. Official Indian estimates of people living with HIV/AIDS range from three point five seven to four point five eight million by the end of 2003. HIV is more prevalent in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Manipur and Nagaland. HIV infection has spread silently from cities and towns to villages and is now found in people of all categories. It is no longer confined to high-risk groups like sex workers and patients suffering from STD (sexually transmitted diseases)
 according to recent surveys 19 out of 23 districts in Andhra Pradesh show more than 1 percent.

          HIV prevalence is noted in 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh. There are an estimated 400,000 HIV-positive people in the state which is approximately 10% of the HIV cases in the country. The rapid increase of the disease and under Pradesh and the apparent lack of awareness about safe behavior in the state necessity some action from the government of Andhra Pradesh the form of HIV/AIDS programs.

Characteristics of HIV:

          HIV is a 120 nanometer sized, icosahedral shaped, envelope RNA virus. HIV comprises of an outer lipid envelope, inside lies the protein core, surrounding 2 copies of RNA and viral enzymes reverse transcriptase integrase and protease which is essential for viral replication and maturation. Reverse transcriptase helps in ever-changing forms of virus. It is believed that since the form of genetic material is not fixed. It has been impossible to find a cure for it.

Stages of HIV

There are four stages found in an HIV infected person.

 The first stage known as acute HIV infection is an illness which occurs in an individual when infected by HIV usually within 2 to 6 weeks. such a person may suffer from flu-like symptoms like fever for a couple of days during this stage. There is a period when there are high levels of virus in the blood and no antibodies is founded in this period is known as the “window period”. During the window period, the person is capable of transmitting the virus to others. However the routine antibody tests are found to be negative.

    During the second stage known as “HIV-positive asymptomatic period” or “incubation period” the person is tested positive for HIV antibodies but does not show any symptoms. Generally this stage lasts around three to five years.

        As immunity decreases, the person starts showing symptoms like fever, lose motions and skin diseases, which persist for a long time and this stage known as a “HIV-positive symptomatic period” lasts for two to three years. Usually after five to ten years post the entry of HIV the person reaches the AIDS stage. By this time the disease fighting capacity of the body is greatly reduced because of a deficient immune system. Then follows the secondary infection and symptoms of which are seen in the form of TB and coughing etc. Major signs of the stage are severe weight loss 10% of the body weight, fever and diarrhea that last a month skin rashes ulcer and swollen lymph glands around 80 to 90% of HIV-infected people survived for about 10 years 5 to 10% for 3 to 5 years and about 5% live longer without the development of AIDS.