Human Immunodeficiency Virus

🔹 About: 

1. The virus attacks CD4, a type of White Blood Cell (T cells) in the body’s immune system. 

2. T cells are those cells that move around the body detecting anomalies and infections in cells.

3. After entering body, HIV multiplies itself and destroys CD4 cells, thus severely damaging the human immune system. Once this virus enters the body, it can never be removed.

4. Weak immune system makes a person prone to opportunistic infections and cancer.

5. Also, It becomes difficult for a person infected with this virus to recover from even a minor injury or sickness.

🔹 Transmission:

1. It is transmitted from person to person through bodily fluids including blood, semen, vaginal secretions, anal fluids and breast milk.

2. To transmit HIV, bodily fluids must contain enough of the virus.

🔹 Symptoms:

1. Around 80% of people infected with HIV develop a set of symptoms known as Acute Retroviral Syndrome, around 2-6 weeks after the virus enters into body.

2. The early symptoms include fever, chills, joint pains, muscle aches, sore throat, sweats particularly at night, enlarged glands, a red rash, tiredness, weakness, unintentional weight loss and thrush.

3. A person can carry HIV even without experiencing any symptoms for a long time. During this time, the virus continues to develop and causes immune system and organ damage.

🔹 Facts: 

1. In India, The total number of people living with HIV was estimated at 21.40 lakh in 2017.

2. India witnessed over 87,000 new cases in 2017 and saw a decline of 85% compared to 1995.

🔹 Treatment:

1. Anti-Retroviral Therapy: A combination of daily medications that stop the virus from reproducing.

2. Stem Cell Transplant: An infected person is treated with stem cell transplant from donors carrying a genetic mutation that prevents expression of an HIV receptor CCR5.

🔹 AIDS

1. It is a set of symptoms or syndrome caused by HIV. But it is not necessary that a person infected with HIV will definitely develop AIDS.

2. However, A person infected with HIV is likely to develop symptoms of AIDS over a period of time when his/er immune system is too weak to fight HIV infection.

3. It is the last stage of HIV when the infection is very advanced and if left untreated will lead to death.

4. Prevention includes safe sex, testing and counselling for HIV, voluntary medical male circumcision among other things.