The History of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

This epidemic brought confusion to politics and governments and soon became domestic and global problems. The history of AIDS is full of disease, pain, loss, and death, but it is also full of attention, resolve and effort. Many professional health researchers have been learning about the causes of AIDS for decades, developing therapies for victims, and finding ways to prevent and treat AIDS. AIDS has not yet been eliminated, but these efforts have finally brought hope to the world's future.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the most serious fatal diseases in human history. It causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by infecting and destroying the body's defenses against a part of the infection - lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are white blood cells of the immune system that fights invading bacteria. In rare cases, HIV spreads through direct contact with open wounds of people infected (the virus may enter through small incisions or tears of the body of healthy people) and through blood transfusions. Since 1985, the US blood supply has been carefully screened for HIV and the risk of acquiring HIV from blood transfusion is minimal. A person can not infect HIV by blood donation

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It harm your immune system by destroying white blood cells fighting infectious diseases. This exposes serious infections and the risk of certain cancers. AIDS represents acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. This is the final stage of HIV infection. Not everything is infected with AIDS

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It will kill or harm the cells of the immune system and gradually destroy the body's ability to fight infections and certain types of cancer. HIV is most commonly seen in sexual contact with infected partners. Another important means of infecting HIV is exposure to contaminated needles, infected blood from syringes or other drug addicts. The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stage of HIV infection. Current AIDS definitions include all HIV-infected individuals with less than 200 CD4 + T cells (healthy adults usually have about 800 or more CD4 + T cell numbers). In addition, this definition includes the clinical situation (including opportunistic infections and certain cancers) of one or more HIV-infected persons who were diagnosed as affecting advanced HIV disease.