Infectious Diseases
Rachel Lowe
University of Phoenix - Axia
August 16, 2011

Infectious Diseases
There are many different types of infectious diseases, some are treatable and some unfortunately still untreatable. There is no cure for these diseases even though they have been researched for years, these untreatable diseases include but are not limited to cancer, and one of the most deadly diseases Aids and HIV. Having HIV does not mean that the person also has the Aids virus; it means that they have the virus that causes Aids. However if a person has Aids than they also have HIV sense HIV is the virus that causes Aids to set in. There have been over 980,000 cases of Aids reported in the United States since 1981 (Center for Disease control, 2009).
HIV and AIDs are not the same disease; HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and can be caught on contact. HIV can turn into the AIDS virus though it takes time which can vary in length from a couple of months to years. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome this means that once the HIV virus starts attacking the immune system and breaks down the necessary cells that keep the body healthy, than AIDS sets in. If however HIV is detected early and medical treatment is established it is possible for the patient to survive with the HIV virus for years. There are medications that can be taken to boost the immune system and help fight back the virus to prevent the onset of AIDS. This virus is spread through the physical transmission of bodily fluids. Transmission of this virus can range in form. The transmission of bodily fluids sounds complex however it can occur with the simplest of acts such as kissing. Other bodily fluids include the transmission of blood, breast milk, seminal fluids, and saliva. It was once believed that only Homosexuals could contract this disease, however