HIV/AID Flashcards
What is the full form of HIV?
Human immunodeficiency virus
What is the full form of AIDS?
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
What pathogen causes AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
What are the methods of transmission of HIV?
In semen or vaginal fluids during sexual intercourse
Infected blood or blood products
Contaminated hypodermic syringes
Mother to fetus across placenta and at birth
Mother to infant in breast milk
What is the global distribution of HIV/AIDS?
Worldwide, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia
What is the incubation period of HIV/AIDS?
Initial incubation a few weeks, but up to 10 years or more before symptoms of AIDS may develop
What is the sight of action of pathogen?
T-helper lymphocytes, macrophages, brain cells
What are the clinical features of HIV?
HIV infection-flu like symptoms and then symptomless
AIDS-Opportunistic infections, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, cancers; weight, loss, diarrhea, fever, sweating, and dementia
What is the method of diagnosis for HIV/AIDS?
Testing blood, saliva or urine for the presence of antibodies produced against HIV
What is the estimated total number of people living with HIV worldwide in 2017?
36.9 million (approximately 67% of this in sub-Saharan Africa) (UNAIDS estimate)
Estimated number of new cases of HIV infection worldwide in 2017
1.8 million (UNAIDS estimate)
Estimated number of deaths from AIDS related diseases worldwide in 2017
940,000 (UNAIDS estimate)
What type of virus is HIV?
It is a retrovirus
What does it mean to be a retrovirus?
It’s genetic material is RNA not DNA. Once inside the host cell the viral RNA is converted back to DNA (hence retro) incorporated into human chromosomes.
What happens once the HIV virus is incorporated into human chromosomes
The virus infects and destroyed cells of the body’s immune system(T-helper lymphocytes) so that the numbers gradually decrease. The T-helper lymphocytes, control the immune systems response to infection. When the numbers of these cells are low, the body is unable to defend itself against infection, so allowing a range of pathogens to cause a variety of opportunistic infections
What is an opportunistic infection?
An infection caused by pathogens that take advantage of a host with a weakened immune system
Which disease has no animal vector?
HIV/AIDS
The transmission of HIV is only possible through
Direct exchange of body fluids
Why was the virus spread more easily across male homosexual partners
The mucous lining of the rectum is not as thick as that of the vagina and there is less natural lubrication. As a result, the rectal lining is easily damaged during intercourse and the virus can pass from semen to blood.
Who is at high risk of infection from HIV
Hemophiliacs who were treated with a clotting substance (factor VIII) isolated from blood pooled from many donors.
The infections that can opportunistically develop to create AIDS tend to be characteristic of the conditions. What are two of these infections caused by fungi
Oral thrush caused by Candida albicans
A rare form of pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci
Why does the HIV virus cause a rare type of skin cancer, Kaposi’s sarcoma caused by herpes like virus
As the immune system collapses further it becomes less effective in finding and destroying cancers. This disease is associated with AIDS
What are the most common causes of death of people with AIDS in developed countries?
Kaposi’s Sarcoma and cancers of other internal organs
Degenerative diseases of the brain such as dementia
Why does AIDS have an adverse effect on the economic development of the countries in the region?
It affects sexually active people in their twenties and thirties who are also the most economically productive
The purchase of expensive drugs drains government funds
