AIDS, the last stage of a chronic immune system disease caused by the human immune deficiency virus (HIV), interferes human bodies’ ability to resist infections and disease.
Transmission route
Common ways of spreading the HIV include sexual transmission, blood transmission, and mother-to-child transmission.
Mosquito bites or hugging will not spread HIV.
Four Stages of AIDS
Stage 1: Acute HIV Infection [lasted for 2-8 weeks]
The infectivity of HIV is quite strong during Acute Infection. Some patients will have symptoms of fever, headache, diarrhea, rash, and flu depending on their conditions personally.
Stage 2: Chronic HIV Infection/Clinical Latency [laster for 8-10 years in average]
The onset of AIDS could last for a year, and there might appear to be some unnoticed symptoms.
Each individual exposed to HIV will experience “window period”, in which HIV virus will invade serum antibody, antigen, or nuclear acid until they got detected. Although hospitals have antibody test for HIV, the antibodies in serum sometimes are too low to be detected; under this circumstance, we will say individuals are in the “window period”. The period could lasted for 4 to 8 weeks depending on personal conditions.
Stage 3: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) [laster for half year to two years until death]
HIV destroys the CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 cells) of the immune system, pushing infected people’s life to the edge.
Common Symptoms of AIDS
- Skin or Mucosal infection
- Herpes or Herpes Zoster
- Long-term Fever
- Pneumonia
- Tuberculosis
- Breathing difficulties
- Complicated malignant cancer
- ……
How to cure/control AIDS?
Until now, there are no ways to cure HIV from its root. Current goals for treatments are:
- Minimizing virtual capacity
- Maintaining immune system
- Decrease mortality rates
- Decrease HIV infectivity
AIDS people need life-long treatments once they are infected with the virus.