A lot of people have been a victim of AIDS it pays to know its causes and how to prevent it. Please read...

One of the publicized retroviruses is one that is present in AIDS or acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Three years after the first case of AIDS were reported on 1981 studies showed that its cause was due to a human retrovirus called HIV or human immunodeficiency virus. T4 is the host cell for HIV responsible for regulating the immune systems processes. HIV kills enough t4 cells thus making the victims susceptible from microorganisms mostly opportunistic that cause infections which are not dangerous to healthy individuals.

AIDS virus affects brain and spinal cord making it very dangerous. People who have HIV can develop cancers such as Kaposi’s sarcoma- skin tumors that cause internal bleeding and death, these tumors spread to internal organs. Cancers
in the mucous membranes and the skin; and may develop tumors in the B- lymphocytes. Candida a fungal infection may also develop that causes infection in the mouth, throat or in the vagina.

HIV incubation period is from 3- 10 yrs. During this times infected person maybe asymptomatic or doesn’t show any symptoms. Some people suffer from muscle pains and joints are sore, headache with fever is also common, swollen lymph nodes, skin rashes that last for one or two weeks and diarrhea are some of the symptoms. After these symptoms people infected with HIV stay healthy for about 10 years or more even though the virus has started damaging the immune system. HIV becomes AIDS when the immune system is severely damaged. People, who already developed AIDS loss weight drastically, may develop brain tumors or other opportunistic health problems. Some die as soon they were already infected with AIDS other die later. Different people have different reaction with the said disease.

Kissing or hand shaking with an infected person won’t transmit the virus. However, having unprotected sex with a person with AIDS, sharing needles like some drug users do, drinking breast milk of an infected woman, or blood transfusion of an infected individual will transmit the virus. There are no documented cases of HIV transmission through saliva, kissing (without open wounds in the mouth or sore) or wet clothing. To reduce the risk of being contaminated with AIDS use condoms during sexual intercourse or abstinence. Never share syringe or drug equipment or better yet don’t do drugs, don’t nurse your newly born child if you are an infected HIV mother, and rule of thumb always protect open wounds, sore , mouth and eyes from contact on any blood product. And if you feel you have been exposed with the disease please contact your nearest health care provider to have a test and discuss whether you need to take antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

Where HIV did came from? That is the big question that we all are asking. It has been said that simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) that affects monkeys is the origin of the HIV. A white collared monkey in western Africa also known as sooty mangabey has been known to have SIV. Same happened in 1999 where a chimpanzee called Pan Troglodytes troglodytes (P. t. troglodytes) was also known to have SIV. It has been said that zoonosis or viral transfer from animals to humans has happened. Several theories have been postulated and two of them are the following. The hunter theory this is the most accepted theory, according to this theory SIVcpz has been transferred when chimpanzees are butchered and killed and their blood gets into the wound or cuts of the hunter. Since humans and chimps has different genetic make up the virus would develop slightly different within the body and developed a different strain.

The conspiracy theory this is a theory that state that AIDS is man made. Many have said that is it done with the help of the US federal ‘Special Cancer Virus Program’ (SCVP) and with the support of the CIA, designed as a biological warfare to wipeout a large number of people. However these theories remain a theory until now because no one could still prove and it remains a speculation.

Studies have done to discover the cure of AIDS but none of it succeeded. AIDS is still one of the most dangerous diseases that exist in the planet. Since cure is not yet discovered it is always better to prevent its spread.