Believing to have originated in non-human primates in Africa and transferred to humans either by the ingestion of non- human primate meat or by a transfer of bodily fluid possibly from handling infected meat. The disease was first seen in the United States around 1982. The initial cases involved homosexual men and intravenous drug users who all developed pneumocystis carinii, which occurs in people with compromised immune systems for no discernable reason. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is an incurable lentivirus that eventually becomes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). A lentivirus is a virus that cause illnesses that last a long time and have a substantial incubation period. Lentiviruses are single-strand, positive, RNA envelope viruses. They convert the RNA genome in to double stranded DNA once they infect the cell. The newly created DNA is then added to the person’s cellular DNA. After the disease has taking residence within the cells it can become latent, which leads to it not being avoid detection. AIDS causes the immune system to progressively weaken to the point that the body is unable to fight off infections. AIDS also makes the body more susceptible to Cancers as the body is unable to counter the mutations that are occurring in the cells. A person who is undiagnosed or not receiving treatment only has a life expectancy rate of about ten years after being infected. The time is dependent on the HIV subtype that the person has. HIV is transmitted through bodily secretions such as blood, semen, saliva, vaginal fluid, and breast milk. The HIV virus attaches itself to and infects Helper- T cells, once the number of T cells become too low the person’s chances of infections becomes much higher and deadlier.
Works Cited
HIV/AIDS | CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.
