Acute Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv ) Infection

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection is a long-term (chronic) viral infection. HIV kills white blood cells that help to control the body's defense system (immune system) and fight infection. HIV spreads through semen, pre-seminal fluid, blood, breast milk, rectal fluid, and vaginal fluid. HIV is commonly spread through sexual contact and sharing needles or syringes, because these behaviors involve exchanging bodily fluids. Without treatment, HIV can turn into AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), an advanced stage of HIV infection. AIDS is a very serious illness and can be life-threatening.

HIV/AIDS is acquired when there is an unprotected sexual intercourse, exposure to infected blood or body fluids, sharing of needles or syringes with an infected person and from mother to child through breast feeding or vaginal birth. The most prevalent places are the urban cites in the U.S. As discussed earlier, the population at risk for the infection are gay and bisexuals, IV drug users and heterosexuals. Within the first two weeks of acquiring HIV infection, the infected person develops fever usually 100.4degrees, fatigue, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pains. This normally resolves itself without any intervention. Some people might also develop a digestive and respiratory problem such as nausea &vomiting and dry cough. If untreated, it can result in low TCD4 lymphocyte count below 200 resulting in AIDS. Statistically, from the national level, the most prevalent states in the U.S in

HIV occurs in three main stages: acute HIV infection, clinical latency, and AIDS. In the first stage those infected are very contagious, sometimes suffering from flu-like symptoms; however, this often

As the disease becomes more severe and the virus persistently destroys the immune system, this is known as early HIV infection. With the virus becoming more intense symptoms may vary from fatigue, once again swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea, weight loss, fever, oral yeast infection, and even shingles. With no treatment of the HIV infection, this virus will become AIDS within ten years. With AIDS present the immune system has been extremely damaged and weakened, like those common illnesses such as the flu would be extremely more dangerous because the immune system is so broken down. The sign and symptoms of this final phase of HIV is soaking night sweats, persistent fever, bad diarrhea, rash or bumps, odd white spots or uncomfortable ulcers on the tongue or even around the mouth, weight loss, and random persistent fatigue.

Advanced HIV related symptoms - Moderate anaemia, thrush/derma77s, persistent generalised lymphadenopathy (PGL), diarrhoea, weight loss, recurring fever, Kaposis sarcoma

Each year, there are 40,000 new HIV infections in the US; and HIV is one of the leading causes of death in Florida. After unintentional injury, cancer, heart disease and suicide. It is reported as the 5th leading cause of death for ages 35 – 44, in 2011 (Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 2013). The disparity seen in the African American population in regards to HIV is often discussed, and is targeted for prevention strategies. Only making up less than 16% of the US population, yet having the highest HIV infection rate in comparison to adults in other racial/ethnic populations. Nearly half of new infections occur in black young adults and adolescents (13 – 24 in age) (CDC, 2015d;

The HIV infection and disease progression varies from person to person. It can be divided into three main categories based on how fast the disease progresses into full-blown AIDS as well as each individual’s lab results. The top and most severe tier of HIV is rapid progression of HIV. With rapid progression, AIDS developed within three years of the diagnosis. The next tier is intermediate progression. For individuals within this tier, the time it takes for HIV to progress to AIDS varies between three and ten years after the HIV virus was found to be detectable within their blood. The last tier is composed of long-term non-progressors, or LTNPs (Kumar). Despite having been diagnosed with HIV, those that fall within the LTNP category do not show symptoms. They make up only about one to five percent of the total HIV population. To be considered a long term non progressor, one must remain symptom free, maintain a low viral load without antiretroviral treatment and have a CD4+ T cell count above 500/mm3 for more than seven years

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are lentiviruses (a subgroup of retroviruses) that infect CD4 cells (commonly known as T-cells), macrophages and dendritic cells. The Virus can be transmitted through the rectum, the vagina, the mouth, and the opening of the penis. Only certain fluids contain the virus. They are blood, semen, pre-seminal fluids, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids and breast milk. The HIV virus infects a T-cell, multiplies and eventually the cell explodes. When that happens on a massive scale, your immunity is compromised. That makes it possible for infections, such as the common cold and pneumonia, to thrive. That is usually in the end stages of the disease.

Individuals with HIV may not notice and/or realize their symptoms because they may not appear for up to 10 years (CDC, 2013). The symptoms include rapid weight loss, recurring fever and/or profuse night sweats, extreme and unexplained tiredness, prolonged swelling of the lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck, and/or diarrhea that lasts for more than a week.

In general, symptoms of HIV are usually not present when a person becomes initially infected. “One or to two months after infection, a person may have enlarged lymph nodes (in the neck and groin), fever, headache, and feel tired.” Because these symptoms are basically the flu and pass after a week or month, these symptoms alone are often mistaken for other illness. The HIV virus can be transmitted to other people during this time. When symptoms do become more severe, they may include the following

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a fairly common diagnosis with an estimated 1.1 million people in the United stated who carry the infection and is predominantly seen in homosexual Caucasian and black males.1 Prognosis for individuals with HIV is vastly different and is dependent on many different variables. The Center for Disease and Control (CDC) has classified the HIV virus into 3 stages based on the symptoms and the pathological progression of the virus. The first stage of the virus lasts usually one to four weeks, which presents with similar symptoms of mononucleosis (2 p 367). Stage two of the virus roughly lasts about ten years, at which point the CD4+ t cell levels drop to around 1000 cells/microliter (2 p367). During the final stage, stage 3 occurs when the CD4+ T cells levels drop to 200 cells/microliter, and the person is now infected with AIDS and the progression of the infection may be very rapid (2 p367). Ultimately, the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is a complex immune virus that is capable of destroying ones immune system, leaving their body defenseless.

HIV is a disease which eventually kills ones immune system, and as time progresses it leads to AIDS. When the HIV enters a human, it attaches itself to a CD4 receptor and continues to enter the T-Cell. It then reprograms the cell to produce more HIV using the enzyme, reverse transcriptase. The HIV then leaves the host cell, but kills it before it leaves. Then, the HIV cells attach their selves to new T cells, and infect those as well. After about 12 weeks, the HIV antibodies appear in the humans blood stream. The disease starts off with a fever, sweats, headache, sore throats and enlarged lymph nodes. Once the CD4 cell count decreases to 200 um, AIDS gets developed and the low T count cell lowers ones immune system. Then, the

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Humans are the only beings that can get this infection. The HIV infection can find and attack a significant type of white blood cell that the human body needs to fight diseases. These cells are called CD4 cells, or T-cells. Once the infection starts to attack your T-cells, it will start using them to make copies of itself. Once the virus attacks the majority of the T-cells in the immune system, the body cannot fight off other sicknesses, including the flu and the common cold. ("What is HIV/AIDS?")

One of the major harms HIV can do to the body is destroy CD4 lymphocyte cells. The lymphocytes are an important function for the bodies immune system. It helps attack infection and protect from other harmful diseases. HIV destroys your lymphocytes in your immune system and it becomes weak because HIV attaches to these CD4 cells and becomes hard to fight off any infections. Certain stages of HIV are considered AIDS. If a person has a low number of CD4 cells doctors treat it as AIDS. Having HIV gives you a greater risk of having serious infections like tuberculosis, brain problems like meningitis and encephalitis [Define what those two words

The symptoms of HIV are flu-like symptoms and normally start after a week of being infected. The individual will experience a fever, sore throat and body rash. Other symptoms may also be tiredness, muscle and joint pain and swollen glands. These symptoms are all a sign that your immune system is trying to fight off the infection and will normally last one or two weeks.