aids Flashcards
Immediately after infection with HIV people often suffer mild flu-like symptoms
These symptoms pass and for a period of time infected people might not know they are infected
After several months or years, the viral
DNA replicated by the HIV virus particles becomes active
They gradually destroy and reduce the number of
helper T cells present in a host
This is detrimental as helper T cells play an important role in the specific immune response
They stimulate
B cells, the production of antibodies and increased rates of phagocytosis
When an individual can no longer produce antibodies they are said to have
advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
As they can no longer produce antibodies against pathogens they are immuno-comprised and unable to
fight off infections
They begin to suffer from diseases that would usually cause very minor issues in healthy individuals
These diseases are described as
opportunistic
Tuberculosis (TB) is a common example
It is these opportunistic diseases that cause an individual with advanced AIDS to die
Treatment of AIDS
As of yet, there is no cure for AIDS
There are many drugs that are very effective at slowing the spread of the virus within the body
When provided with adequate medical care individuals with HIV have the same life expectancy as those without the virus
Antibiotics are commonly used to kill bacteria or limit bacterial growth
The mechanism by which they work can vary. Some interfere with the metabolism of bacterial cells while others prevent protein synthesis
Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses as they are
non-living
Viruses are particles and not cells
They have no
metabolism or cell structure for antibiotics to act on and disrupt
