AIDS Flashcards
History of emergence of AIDS in US
1980s- intravaneous drug users, hemophiliacs, and newborns of infected mothers
known to be transferred by bodily fluids
who discovered HIV to be the causative agent of AIDS
Luc Montagnier and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi
major steps of HIV replication in host cells
-bind with host cell receptor and co receptor
-fusion of virus membrane with host membrane and release of virus RNA into cytoplasm
-reverse transcription of viral RNA into viral DNA
-integration of viral DNA into host DNA
-formation of new virus particles
-release of new complete virus
explain emergence and spread of HIV as a human pathogen
-African hunting of bushmeat due to European colonization
-urbanization and globalization allowing for increased travel
-hospitals reusing needles
transmission of HIV
-sexual contact
-injection w/ contaminated needle
-blood transfusions
-vertical transmission(mother to newborn)
progression of HIV infection
Stage 1: mild fever and sickness(flu like)
Stage 2: asymptomatic as CD4 T cells are progressively lost
Stage 3: termianl illness and death due to elimination of CD4 T cells and secondary infections
how is HIV treated
HAART: highly active antiretroviral therapy
-blocks replication of virus using multiple antiretroviral drugs
explain resistance to HIV
mutation in CCFs that shorten the receptors on CD4 T cells preventing the virus from entering
current AIDS status globally
40 million deaths worldwide(70% in sub-saharan Africa)
programs for controlling HIV in US
PrEP: prevents contraction of HIV if exposed
SSPs: safe/proper disposal of used needles
PEPFAR: US presidents emergency plan for AIDS relief
when was the first commercial blood test (ELISA) for HIV released
April 1985
previous names for HIV
GRID: gay related immunodeficiency disease
4H: homosexuals, haitians, heroin users, hemophiliacs
AIDS: in 1982
what are opportunistic pathogens?
how do they relate to HIV?
they are microorganisms that do not usually infect healthy hosts, but cause disease in immunosuppressed hosts
-Aids causes immunosuppression which allows for opportunistic pathogens to infect
main opportunistic infections from HIV
Bacteria: tuberculosis
Fungi: pneumocystis
Virus: Kaposi’s sarcoma
what is novel HIV treatment?
how many have been helped by it?
it is a semi viable HIV cure using umbilical cord blood stem cells that works primarily on people with diverse racial backgrounds.
-3 people have been cured using this
challenges to developing HIV vaccine
-high mutation rate of virus
-no long term immunity after recovering from illness
-lack of animal model
