HIVAIDS The Transformation
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are two complex diseases that are causing very serious health problems to humans. HIV was first discovered in 1985 and was eventually assumed by scientists that it was the virus that caused AIDS (Cichocki, 2009b). Although HIV and AIDS epidemics are two different diseases, they have been equally creating significant health concerns to humans all over the world throughout the years. The most common means documented in the spread of the HIV virus is through sexual contact, although recent cases reveal that sharing of needles when abusing intravenous drugs has been steadily contributing a considerable percentage of the entire HIV transmission. Because of the enormous health concerns brought by HIV and AIDS and the puzzling origins, connection, and treatment of the two illnesses, this paper will comprehensively examine the link between HIV and AIDS, the beginnings and new discoveries concerning the diseases, the current state of the problem, and the direction of works focused on HIV and AIDS.
Transformation of HIV to AIDS
HIV is a virus that is transmissible from person to person by means of swapping of body fluids such as vaginal secretions, breast milk, semen, and blood (Cichocki, 2009a). The HIV virus is transmitted through body fluids during breastfeeding, childbirth, sharing of needles, blood transfusion, and sexual contact. A person infected with HIV does not automatically mean that he or she also has AIDS. In essence, once the HIV virus is within the body, it strategically attacks the CD4 cells, which are the detailed immune system cells of the human body (Cichocki, 2009a). The virus attaches to and infects the CD4 cells by infusing HIV proteins into the cells. In due course, each of the CD4 cell is slowly damaged as the HIV virus propagates and attacks them. As this series goes on, the immune system of the infected body deteriorates, and the person becomes so vulnerable to a number of various infections which can make the person severely sick and even lead to his or her death.
Basically, in every cubic millimeter of blood, humans have between 600 and 1,500 CD4 cells (Noble, 2009). People who develop AIDS have very much lower levels of such cells, generally under 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood or below 14 percent of all the lymphocytes (Noble, 2009). These low levels of immune cells clarify why AIDS-affected people are very susceptible to different diseases. The diseases that can distress people with AIDS are usually swollen glands and mild flu-like illness however, such may also include either one of the 28 specific diseases in the case of children victims, and one of the 26 identified diseases in the case of adult victims (Noble, 2009).
Developments in the Field from the Earliest Beginnings
From the time HIV and AIDS diseases infected the humans in the 1980s many scientists have been mystified of their origins. As a result, these diseases have continually generated countless arguments and fierce debates. Many experts have, however, all agreed and confirmed that HIV is a type of lentivirus. Numerous investigations regarding the beginnings of HIV have revealed that HIV is a descendant of a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, which is a type of lentivirus that affects monkeys (Kanabus, Allen, de Boer, 2009). The closest HIV counterpart, which is the SIVcpz found in chimpanzees, was first discovered in 1999. Scientists found that there are two different Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses that are capable of developing a third type of virus for the chimpanzees of Western Africa. Unfortunately, this third strain of virus was not only found to be contagious to other chimpanzees, but more alarmingly, it was also discovered to be contagious to humans. Because of the discovery of this vital evidence, many experts believe that the first transfer of HIV to humans occurred in the continent of Africa (Kanabus, Allen, de Boer, 2009).
Several factors may have played a role in the unexpected transmission of HIV virus from Africa to the rest of the world, most of which took place in the last part of the 20th century. International and national travels, for instance, may be considered to have significantly contributed in the initial spread of HIV. Likewise, during the period, demand for blood transfusion has significantly increased. Unfortunately, some of the unscreened bloods may have been infected with HIV virus and may have surreptitiously infected the people who received the blood. Moreover, during the 1970s, availability of heroin helped trigger a growth in intravenous drug use, which provided another medium for the virus to spread.
The first licensed therapeutic drug for HIV was AZT, or zidovudine, which became very popular in 1987. Numerous researches discovered that AZT increased CD4 cell counts, reduced opportunistic infections, and increased survival rate among AIDS infected patients (Noble, 2009). However, subsequent studies, particularly the Concorde Study, have revealed that patients who have taken the drug received no or little lasting benefit (Noble, 2009). As a result, in the succeeding years, other types of anti-HIV drugs have been developed, such as protease inhibitors, which were specifically designed to attack HIV proteins. Recent studies also found that when these different medications are reciprocally taken, they bring more positive results to the patients as compared to AZT treatment alone.
The Current State of Affairs
In June 2007, the UNAIDS published the world statistics of the HIV epidemic. The statistics reveal that in 2006, more than 39 million people are infected with HIV, over 2.9 million died of AIDS, and approximately 5 million people in middle and low income countries do not have access to HIV medications (Cichocki, 2007). As of 2008, the statistics somewhat declined but still remained in a very alarming number. The estimates claim that 33.4 million people are still living with HIV, and AIDS deaths totaled to roughly 2 million (AVERT, 2009). Unfortunately, as of the moment, there is no recognized comprehensive treatment for HIV infection. Although many people are no longer dying from AIDS given that there are already available medications that decelerate the HIV virus ability to reproduce, the fact remains that these infected people are still not free from the deadly transmissible virus (Cichocki, 2009a).
At present, various domestic and international organizations, such as AVERT and the Food and Drug Administration, are focusing on reviewing and monitoring areas related to medical devices, biologics, and drugs for the prevention of HIV- and AIDS-related conditions. Several areas are continually taken by these organizations that influence prevention of the HIV transmission, including the following (1) making sure that the blood supply is safe from the virus and other infectious disease (2) monitoring the quality of barrier products such as medical and surgical gloves, dental dams, condoms, etc. (3) working with government and industry developers of both therapeutic and preventive vaccines for HIV such as Core ProteinsPesticides, DNA Plasmid, Envelope ProteinsPeptides, Retroviral Vectors, Inactivated HIV-1, Nucleic Acid-based vaccines, and Recombinant Live Vectors and (4) working with other researchers and sponsors to build up realistic, appropriate microbicide to avert the transmission of HIV (U.S. Department of Health Human Services HHS, 2009).
Direction of Work in the Future and Potential Positive and Negative Impacts
At present, there is no known treatment for HIV and AIDS, as well as a validated case of a person cured of HIV infection. Estimates reveal that in the next two decades, roughly 70 million people may die from AIDS (Norris, 2008). The main reason for the future increase of infection is that many of the infected people may deem that they are not infected with the virus. Unfortunately, the current drugs available that suppress the negative effects of HIV may likewise be considered an impediment to the efforts of restraining future epidemic. The reason for this distress is that people with HIV and AIDS are now living with the viral hazards for such a long time as the accomplishment of treatments in reducing percentage of death preserves the good health of the infected people (Norris, 2008). As a result of these medications, patients may likewise increase their chances of transmitting the disease to other people.
As of the moment, future preventive strategies will continually focus on the use of condoms to reduce the transmission of the HIV virus. In addition, researchers are also aspiring to perfectly develop a microbicidal creams or gels for females, to be utilized in a way that is comparable to spermicides. With regard to future vaccines, the research is only expected to focus on preventive HIV vaccines. For years, researchers have been more successful in working out preventive vaccines than they have been in expounding therapeutic vaccines. However, many experts are still very optimistic that in the future, the development of a precautionary treatment may make the danger of HIV as isolated as the danger posed by small pox or polio.
Conclusion
The spread of HIV to humans became known during the early 1980s. Scientists eventually concluded that HIV is the virus that causes the development of AIDS to human beings. However, a person infected with HIV does not automatically mean that he or she also has the AIDS. Some people with HIV infection live for many years without developing the AIDS disease. Unfortunately, available medications today are still not capable of entirely eradicating HIV virus from the body, leaving the infected person capable to infect other people. Many experts, nevertheless, believe that in the future, new developments regarding the treatment of HIV and AIDS will be discovered. As of the present time, however, the possibility of living a longer, healthier life, free from HIV and AIDS, only increases when one understands the nature of these conditions.
Transformation of HIV to AIDS
HIV is a virus that is transmissible from person to person by means of swapping of body fluids such as vaginal secretions, breast milk, semen, and blood (Cichocki, 2009a). The HIV virus is transmitted through body fluids during breastfeeding, childbirth, sharing of needles, blood transfusion, and sexual contact. A person infected with HIV does not automatically mean that he or she also has AIDS. In essence, once the HIV virus is within the body, it strategically attacks the CD4 cells, which are the detailed immune system cells of the human body (Cichocki, 2009a). The virus attaches to and infects the CD4 cells by infusing HIV proteins into the cells. In due course, each of the CD4 cell is slowly damaged as the HIV virus propagates and attacks them. As this series goes on, the immune system of the infected body deteriorates, and the person becomes so vulnerable to a number of various infections which can make the person severely sick and even lead to his or her death.
Basically, in every cubic millimeter of blood, humans have between 600 and 1,500 CD4 cells (Noble, 2009). People who develop AIDS have very much lower levels of such cells, generally under 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood or below 14 percent of all the lymphocytes (Noble, 2009). These low levels of immune cells clarify why AIDS-affected people are very susceptible to different diseases. The diseases that can distress people with AIDS are usually swollen glands and mild flu-like illness however, such may also include either one of the 28 specific diseases in the case of children victims, and one of the 26 identified diseases in the case of adult victims (Noble, 2009).
Developments in the Field from the Earliest Beginnings
From the time HIV and AIDS diseases infected the humans in the 1980s many scientists have been mystified of their origins. As a result, these diseases have continually generated countless arguments and fierce debates. Many experts have, however, all agreed and confirmed that HIV is a type of lentivirus. Numerous investigations regarding the beginnings of HIV have revealed that HIV is a descendant of a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, which is a type of lentivirus that affects monkeys (Kanabus, Allen, de Boer, 2009). The closest HIV counterpart, which is the SIVcpz found in chimpanzees, was first discovered in 1999. Scientists found that there are two different Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses that are capable of developing a third type of virus for the chimpanzees of Western Africa. Unfortunately, this third strain of virus was not only found to be contagious to other chimpanzees, but more alarmingly, it was also discovered to be contagious to humans. Because of the discovery of this vital evidence, many experts believe that the first transfer of HIV to humans occurred in the continent of Africa (Kanabus, Allen, de Boer, 2009).
Several factors may have played a role in the unexpected transmission of HIV virus from Africa to the rest of the world, most of which took place in the last part of the 20th century. International and national travels, for instance, may be considered to have significantly contributed in the initial spread of HIV. Likewise, during the period, demand for blood transfusion has significantly increased. Unfortunately, some of the unscreened bloods may have been infected with HIV virus and may have surreptitiously infected the people who received the blood. Moreover, during the 1970s, availability of heroin helped trigger a growth in intravenous drug use, which provided another medium for the virus to spread.
The first licensed therapeutic drug for HIV was AZT, or zidovudine, which became very popular in 1987. Numerous researches discovered that AZT increased CD4 cell counts, reduced opportunistic infections, and increased survival rate among AIDS infected patients (Noble, 2009). However, subsequent studies, particularly the Concorde Study, have revealed that patients who have taken the drug received no or little lasting benefit (Noble, 2009). As a result, in the succeeding years, other types of anti-HIV drugs have been developed, such as protease inhibitors, which were specifically designed to attack HIV proteins. Recent studies also found that when these different medications are reciprocally taken, they bring more positive results to the patients as compared to AZT treatment alone.
The Current State of Affairs
In June 2007, the UNAIDS published the world statistics of the HIV epidemic. The statistics reveal that in 2006, more than 39 million people are infected with HIV, over 2.9 million died of AIDS, and approximately 5 million people in middle and low income countries do not have access to HIV medications (Cichocki, 2007). As of 2008, the statistics somewhat declined but still remained in a very alarming number. The estimates claim that 33.4 million people are still living with HIV, and AIDS deaths totaled to roughly 2 million (AVERT, 2009). Unfortunately, as of the moment, there is no recognized comprehensive treatment for HIV infection. Although many people are no longer dying from AIDS given that there are already available medications that decelerate the HIV virus ability to reproduce, the fact remains that these infected people are still not free from the deadly transmissible virus (Cichocki, 2009a).
At present, various domestic and international organizations, such as AVERT and the Food and Drug Administration, are focusing on reviewing and monitoring areas related to medical devices, biologics, and drugs for the prevention of HIV- and AIDS-related conditions. Several areas are continually taken by these organizations that influence prevention of the HIV transmission, including the following (1) making sure that the blood supply is safe from the virus and other infectious disease (2) monitoring the quality of barrier products such as medical and surgical gloves, dental dams, condoms, etc. (3) working with government and industry developers of both therapeutic and preventive vaccines for HIV such as Core ProteinsPesticides, DNA Plasmid, Envelope ProteinsPeptides, Retroviral Vectors, Inactivated HIV-1, Nucleic Acid-based vaccines, and Recombinant Live Vectors and (4) working with other researchers and sponsors to build up realistic, appropriate microbicide to avert the transmission of HIV (U.S. Department of Health Human Services HHS, 2009).
Direction of Work in the Future and Potential Positive and Negative Impacts
At present, there is no known treatment for HIV and AIDS, as well as a validated case of a person cured of HIV infection. Estimates reveal that in the next two decades, roughly 70 million people may die from AIDS (Norris, 2008). The main reason for the future increase of infection is that many of the infected people may deem that they are not infected with the virus. Unfortunately, the current drugs available that suppress the negative effects of HIV may likewise be considered an impediment to the efforts of restraining future epidemic. The reason for this distress is that people with HIV and AIDS are now living with the viral hazards for such a long time as the accomplishment of treatments in reducing percentage of death preserves the good health of the infected people (Norris, 2008). As a result of these medications, patients may likewise increase their chances of transmitting the disease to other people.
As of the moment, future preventive strategies will continually focus on the use of condoms to reduce the transmission of the HIV virus. In addition, researchers are also aspiring to perfectly develop a microbicidal creams or gels for females, to be utilized in a way that is comparable to spermicides. With regard to future vaccines, the research is only expected to focus on preventive HIV vaccines. For years, researchers have been more successful in working out preventive vaccines than they have been in expounding therapeutic vaccines. However, many experts are still very optimistic that in the future, the development of a precautionary treatment may make the danger of HIV as isolated as the danger posed by small pox or polio.
Conclusion
The spread of HIV to humans became known during the early 1980s. Scientists eventually concluded that HIV is the virus that causes the development of AIDS to human beings. However, a person infected with HIV does not automatically mean that he or she also has the AIDS. Some people with HIV infection live for many years without developing the AIDS disease. Unfortunately, available medications today are still not capable of entirely eradicating HIV virus from the body, leaving the infected person capable to infect other people. Many experts, nevertheless, believe that in the future, new developments regarding the treatment of HIV and AIDS will be discovered. As of the present time, however, the possibility of living a longer, healthier life, free from HIV and AIDS, only increases when one understands the nature of these conditions.
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