Epidemiology Paper –HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus attack the cells of the immune system, and leads to the loss of immune function, results in the development of Acquired immune deficiency syndrome [AIDS]. The human retrovirus contains two copies of a 9,749- base ribonucleic add [RNA] molecule as its genetic material. There is an enzyme called reverse transcriptase carried by the virus transform the RNA genome into a DNA copy upon infection and this DNA copy integrates into human chromosome and is maintained in a form called provirus and once the provirus is integrated the infection is not reversible .Human immune viruses falls into the subgroup known as lent viruses or slow viruses that do not cause the state of disease for many years after the infection. The period of time between the between the HIV infection and the development of disease takes between five and ten years in an untreated person. This person can be infectious during this period.
Human immunodeficiency virus transmits only through the body fluids including semen vaginal fluid and also human milk .That is why the primary mode of transmission is sexual transmission, repeated use of dirty needles by the intravenous drug users, needles used for tattoos and body piercing, and also the transmission is through the HIV contaminated breast milk or from a HIV positive mother to the newborn during child birth. In the early days of AIDS epidemic the blood and blood product transfusions were considered to be the leading cause of transmission, however today the transmission through the blood products are exceedingly rare because all the donors are routinely checked for HIV prior transfusion or blood supply.
The signs and symptoms of the disease are dueto the weakening of the immune system and the decline in the CD4+T Cells, which are the main infection fighters for the immune system. As