|
AIDS
2007 Statistics Facts and Figures
AIDS
is short for:
Acquired
Immune
Deficiency
Syndrome
There is clear evidence that AIDS
is caused by a virus called HIV, which is short for:
Human
Immunodeficiency
Virus
HIV is
a virus. Illnesses caused by a virus cannot be cured by antibiotics. (Although
medicines may help to reduce the symptoms) People who have a virus - such as a
cold- usually get better after a few days or weeks because the white blood cells
of the immune system - which are responsible for fighting diseases -
successfully overcomes them.
When a
person is infected with HIV the immune system tries to fight off the virus and
does make some antibodies, but these antibodies are not able to defeat HIV.
The person is said to be HIV Positive. Many people do not feel ill at all when
they are first infected. They may have no symptoms for a long time. They have
not yet got AIDS.
HIV
acts by gradually destroying the immune system of the infected person. After
about 5 to 10 years (although much earlier in a minority of cases) the immune
system becomes so weak - or 'deficient'- that it cannot fight off infections as
it used to.
Eventually
the infected person may lose weight and become ill with diseases like persistent
severe diarrhea, fever, or pneumonia, or skin cancer. He or she has now
developed AIDS.
At the moment, in spite of much research, there is no cure for HIV or for AIDS
and so, sadly, it is almost certain that people diagnosed with AIDS will die.
These are the most common ways
that HIV is transmitted from one person to another:
- by having sexual contact with
an HIV-infected person
- by sharing needles or
injection equipment with an injection drug user who is infected with HIV
- from HIV-infected women to
babies before or during birth, or through breast-feeding after birth
HIV also can be transmitted through
transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors.
HIV is not transmitted by
day-to-day contact in the workplace, schools, or social settings. HIV is not
transmitted through shaking hands, hugging, or a casual kiss. You cannot become
infected from a toilet seat, a drinking fountain, a door knob, dishes, drinking
glasses, food, or pets.
The
Red Ribbon is an international symbol of AIDS awareness that is worn by people
all year round and particularly around world AIDS day to demonstrate care and
concern about HIV and AIDS, and to remind others of the need for their support
and commitment. The red ribbon started as a "grass roots" effort, and
as a result there is no official red ribbon, and many people make their own. To
make your own ribbons, get some ordinary red ribbon, about 1.5 cms wide and cut
it into strips about 15 cms long. Then fold at the top into an inverted
"V" shape and put a safety pin through the center which you use to
attach the ribbon to your clothing.
Global
Facts and Figures
More
than 1 million persons are living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, and an
estimated 40,000 new HIV infections are expected to occur this year. African
Americans account for 49% of new cases of HIV in the United States.
AIDS/HIV
Science Facts
What is a virus?
A submicroscopic organism that
infects another organism's cells and can cause harm. Viruses can be
composed of DNA or RNA genetic material.
What are some examples of
viruses?
Common cold, measles, chicken
pox, flu, hepatitis, herpes, polio,
What is a retrovirus?
A virus that stores its genetic
information as RNA, but translates back to DNA before replicating. This
process is the reverse of the usual process and requires a special viral enzyme
called Reverse Transcriptase. HIV is one example of a retrovirus.
What is the structure of HIV?
The structure of HIV is like most
other viruses. It consists of:
An envelope, which provides
structure to the virus and houses the nucleic acid core.
Outer surface glycoproteins, which act as "keys" that can latch onto
the outside of T cells, and help inject the nucleic acid into the cell.
An RNA genome, which contains the information and directions on infecting the
cell, replicating, and performing the actions that eventually destroy the cell.
What is the immune system?
The body's defense against
foreign invaders and cancerous cells. It involves B cells that produce
antibodies, T cells that directly attack foreign cells, and phagocytes that eat
up foreign material.
How does HIV affect the immune
system?
HIV infects helper T cells that
display a certain protein, called the CD4 receptor. Once inside the cell,
HIV takes over the cell and the virus replicates. In a couple of days, the
cell dies and the new virus particles go on to infect more helper T cells.
What are the stages of the
disease?
Stage 1 - Primary HIV infection -
lasts a few weeks, flu-like symptoms
Stage 2 - Latent period - may last years, patient has no symptoms
Stage 3 - Symptomatic HIV infection - as more and more T cells are destroyed,
the body becomes overly susceptible to
opportunistic infections and cancers
Stage 4 - AIDS - helper T cell count is <200, patient develops 1 or more
opportunistic infections
What is an opportunistic
infection?
An illness that normal people
with healthy immune systems can fight off. People with AIDS cannot fight
these infections and will eventually die. Even the common flu can kill a
person with AIDS.
HIV does not survive well outside
of the body. There are many myths about how HIV is passed. Here are the
facts:
- You cannot get HIV through
casual contact such as shaking hands or hugging a person with HIV/AIDS.
- You cannot get HIV from using
a public telephone, drinking fountain, restroom, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, or
hot tub.
- You cannot get HIV from
sharing a drink.
- You cannot get HIV from being
coughed or sneezed on by a person with HIV/AIDS.
- You cannot get HIV from giving
blood.
- You cannot get HIV from a
mosquito bite.
HIV/AIDS Glossary
Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome (AIDS)
A disease of the body's immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV). AIDS is characterized by the death of CD4 cells (an important part of the
body's immune system), which leaves the body vulnerable to life-threatening
conditions such as infections and cancers.
Antibody
Also known as immunoglobulin. A protein produced by the body's immune system
that recognizes and fights infectious organisms and other foreign substances
that enter the body. Each antibody is specific to a particular piece of an
infectious organism or other foreign substance.
Antiretroviral Therapy
(ART)
Treatment with drugs that inhibit the ability of retroviruses (such as HIV) to
multiply in the body. The antiretroviral therapy recommended for HIV infection
is referred to as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which uses a
combination of medications to attack HIV at different points in its life cycle.
CD4 Cell
Also known as helper T cell or CD4 lymphocyte. A type of infection-fighting
white blood cell that carries the CD4 receptor on its surface. CD4 cells
coordinate the immune response, signaling other cells in the immune system to
perform their special functions. The number of CD4 cells in a sample of blood is
an indicator of the health of the immune system. HIV infects and kills CD4
cells, leading to a weakened immune system
CD4 Cell Count
A measurement of the number of CD4 cells in a sample of blood. The CD4 count is
one of the most useful indicators of the health of the immune system and the
progression of HIV/AIDS. A CD4 cell count is used by health care providers to
determine when to begin, interrupt, or halt anti-HIV therapy; when to give
preventive treatment for opportunistic infections; and to measure response to
treatment. A normal CD4 cell count is between 500 and 1,400 cells/mm3 of blood,
but an individual's CD4 count can vary. In HIV-infected individuals, a CD4 count
at or below 200 cells/mm3 is considered an AIDS-defining condition.
Clinical Trial
A research study that uses human volunteers to answer specific health questions.
Carefully conducted clinical trials are regarded as the fastest and safest way
to find effective treatments for diseases and conditions, as well as other ways
to improve health. Interventional trials use controlled conditions to determine
whether experimental treatments or new ways of using known treatments are safe
and effective. Observational trials gather information about health issues from
groups of people in their natural settings.
Co-Infection
Infection with more than one virus, bacterium, or other micro-organism at a
given time. For example, an HIV-infected individual may be co-infected with
hepatitis C virus (HCV) or tuberculosis (TB).
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV)
The virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV is in the
retrovirus family, and two types have been identified: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is
responsible for most HIV infections throughout the world, while HIV-2 is found
primarily in West Africa.
Immune System
The collection of cells and organs whose role is to protect the body from
foreign invaders. Includes the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, B and T cells, and
antigen-presenting cells.
Investigational Drug
Also known as experimental drug. A drug that has not been approved by the FDA to
treat a particular disease or condition. The safety and effectiveness of an
investigational drug must be tested in clinical trials before the manufacturer
can request FDA approval for a specific use of the drug.
Latency
The time period when an infectious organism is in the body but is not producing
any noticeable symptoms. In HIV disease, latency usually occurs in the early
years of infection. Also refers to the period when HIV has integrated its genome
into a cell's DNA but has not yet begun to replicate.
Microbicide
A natural or man-made substance that kills microbes. Researchers are studying
the use of microbicides to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), including HIV infection.
Opportunistic Infections (OIs)
Illnesses caused by various organisms that occur in people with weakened immune
systems, including people with HIV/AIDS. OIs common in people with AIDS include
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; cryptosporidiosis; histoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis;
other parasitic, viral, and fungal infections; and some types of cancers.
T Cell
A type of lymphocyte (disease-fighting white blood cell). The "T"
stands for the thymus, where T cells mature. T cells include CD4 cells and CD8
cells, which are both critical components of the body's immune system.
Therapeutic HIV Vaccine
Any HIV vaccine used for the treatment of an HIV-infected person. Therapeutic
HIV vaccines are designed to boost an individual's immune response to HIV
infection in order to better control the virus. This therapeutic approach is
currently being tested in clinical trials
Vaccine
A substance that stimulates the bodys immune response in order to prevent or
control an infection. A vaccine is typically made up of some part of a bacteria
or virus that cannot itself cause an infection. Researchers are testing vaccines
both to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS; however, there is currently no vaccine
approved for use outside of clinical trials.
HIV
& AIDS Timeline
1930s
Researchers believe that
sometime in the 1930s a form of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) jumped to
humans who butchered or ate chimpanzee bush meat in the Democratic Republic of
Congo. The virus becomes HIV-1 the most widespread form found today
1959
The worlds first known
case of AIDS has been traced to a sample of blood plasma from a man who died in
the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1959
1960s
HIV-2, which is restricted to
West Africa, is thought to have transferred to people from sooty mangabey
monkeys in Guinea-Bissau during the 1960s
A genetic analysis of HIV in
2003 suggests that it may have first arrived in the United States in about 1968
1970s
During the 1970s it continues
to spread undetected in the US and around the world - the pandemic has begun
1981
A high prevalence of both a
rare type of skin cancer - Kaposis Sarcoma - and pneumonia are found in young
gay men in New York and California, US. These are the first documented cases of
AIDS. By the end of the year 121 people are known to have died from the
mysterious affliction
1982
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) scientists, in Atlanta, US, predict that the immune system
disorder affecting gay men is due to an infection. They establish the term
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and determine that aside from gay
men, other groups at risk are injecting drug users, people of Haitian origin and
haemophiliacs
By 1982 AIDS had been
detected on five continents
It is revealed that a wasting
disorder known in Africa as slim disease is a form of AIDS
1983
AIDS epidemics are developing
in Europe: one in gay men who have visited the US, another in people with links
to central Africa
Investigations begin into the
occurrence of AIDS in Rwanda, Zaire and other African nations
1984
Using recently developed
techniques, the retrovirus responsible for AIDS is independently discovered by
Luc Montagnier of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, and Robert Gallo of
the National Cancer Institute in Washington DC, US. It is later named the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Cases of AIDS passed on
through heterosexual intercourse begin to appear
1985
The first International AIDS
conference is held in Atlanta, US
Following the previous
years discovery of the HIV virus, the first HIV test is licensed by the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
US blood banks are screened
for the virus
1987
AZT (zidovudine), the first
antiretroviral drug, becomes available to treat HIV sufferers after a successful
clinical trial. The drug works by blocking the action of HIV's enzyme reverse
transcriptase, stopping the virus from replicating in cells. AZT slows down the
course of AIDS, delaying death
By 1987, 16,908 people have
died from AIDS in the US. In total 71,751 cases of AIDS had been reported to the
World Health Organization (WHO), 47,022 in the US
Estimating that as many as 5
to 10 million people could be infected with HIV worldwide, the WHO launches its
Global Programme on AIDS
1988
WHO declares the first World
AIDS Day on 1 December
1991
The red ribbon becomes an
international symbol of AIDS awareness
1992
In the US, AIDS becomes the
leading cause of death for 24 to 44 year old men
The first combination drug
therapies for HIV are introduced, when the US FDA approves the use of the ddC,
which also blocks reverse transcriptase, alongside AZT. HIV drug cocktails are
more effective and the multi-pronged attacks slow down the development of drug
resistance
1994
Using AZT to reduce the
transmission of HIV from pregnant women to unborn fetuses is recommended in the
US. A study shows it cuts the rate of maternal transmission to 8% - in women
taking a placebo the rate was 25%
Over 12 after the discovery
of AIDS, the US government launches its first national media campaign explicitly
promoting condoms
1995
Saquinavir, a new type of
protease inhibitor drug, becomes available to treat
HIV. These drugs result in
defective HIV forming, which cannot infect new cells. This new more powerful
drug heralds the start of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) - a
combination therapy regimen using a cocktail of drugs
One million cases of AIDS
have been reported to the WHO, 19.5 million people have been infected with HIV
since the epidemic began
1996
The International AIDS
Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) - a non-profit organisation based in New York City -
is set up to speed the search for an HIV vaccine
90% of all people infected
with HIV now live in the developing world
1997
Annual US death rates from
AIDS dramatically fall for the first time, due to the introduction of HAART
UN announces that 40 million
children could have lost one or both parents to AIDS by 2010
1998
The first full-scale trial of
a vaccine against HIV begins in the US
Two teams of researchers
begin developing vaccines targeted against the strains of HIV prevalent in
sub-Saharan Africa
An HIV strain resistant to
all protease inhibitor drugs currently on the market turns up in San Francisco.
Unusual side effects, such as the growth of fatty pads and heart problems, are
occurring in some users of protease inhibitors
1999
Edward Hooper releases his
book, The River, which accuses doctors who tested a polio vaccine in
1950s Africa of unintentionally starting the AIDS epidemic. The idea is rejected
in 2001 by a wide group of researchers
33 million people are
infected with HIV, and 14 million have died of AIDS worldwide
AIDS becomes the fourth
biggest killer worldwide
2001
An Indian company starts to
sell discounted copies of expensive patented AIDS drugs to a medical charity in
Africa. The move forces some pharmaceutical companies to slash prices
2003
Five million people are newly
infected with AIDS during 2003, the greatest number in one year since the
epidemic began. Three million die from AIDS in the same year
2004
A vaccine for AIDS is still
years away, warns the IAVI. Less than 3% of all money devoted to AIDS goes
towards developing a vaccine for the disease
HIV blocking microbicides go
on trial. The vaginal creams may provide a powerful weapon against the spread of
HIV. Animal studies show some prevent infection in up to 75% of cases
A drug that stops the HIV
virus from stitching itself into human chromosomes is found to fight AIDS in an
animal study. In the face of emerging drug-resistant HIV strains, the find could
offer a new approach
2005
Around 40 million people are
infected with AIDS worldwide
A highly resistant strain of
HIV linked to rapid progression to AIDS is identified in New York City, US
Sources: New Scientist, WHO,
UNAIDS, New York Times, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, AIDS Action
For More
Information Visit the sites Below
Credit:
The United Nations, Aids.gov
|
