Aids And Its Causes :: Free AIDS Essays

AIDS and Its Causes1.INTRODUCTIONIn June 1981, the centers for The Disease Control of the United Statesreported that louvre young homosexual men in the Los Angels area had contractedPneumocystis Carinii pneumonia( a kind of pneumonia that is particularly foundin AIDS patient). 2 of the patients had died. This report signalled thebegninning of an pestilential of a viral disease characterized by immunosuppressionassociated with opportunistic infection( an infection caused by a microrganismthat does not normally produce disease in human it occurs in persons withabnomality functioning immune system), secondary neoplasms( any abnormal growthof new tissue, benign or malignant) and neurologic mainfestation, which has cometo be known as AIDS.though Aids was first discovered in U.S.A, AIDS has been reported frommore than 163 countries around the world and an estimated 10 million people areinfected worldwide. Worsestill, the syndicate of HIV- infected persons in Africa islarge and expandin g.2.RISK GROUP AND MODE OF TRANSMISSIONStudies in the U.S.A. have retentified five groups of adults at stake fordeveloping AIDS. The case distribution in these groups are as follows (1).Homosexuals or bisexual males constitute the largest group, about 60% of thereported cases. This includes 5% who were intravenuous drug as well. (2).Intravenous drug users with no introductory history of homosexuality compose thenext largest group, about 23% of all patients. (3). Hemophiliacs (the people whohave inborn disease characterized by excesssive bleeding and occuring only inmales) especially those who current factor VIII concentrate before 1985, about1% of all patients. (4). Recipents of blood and blood components who are nothemophiliacs but who received tranfusions of HIV-infected whole blood components(e.g. platelet, plasma) account for 2 %. (5). Other high risk groups 86% ofpatients acquire disease through heterosexual contacts with members of otherhigh risk groups. 80% of children wit h AIDS have a HIV-infected parents andsuffer from transplacental or perinatal transmission.Thus from the preceding discussion, it should be aparent thattransmission of HIV occurs under conditions that further exchange of bloodfluids containing the virus-infected cells. Hence, the three major routes oftransmission are sexual contact , parenteral routes( ie adminstration of asubstance not through the digestive system) and the passage of the virus frominfected mothers to their new borns where are mainly by three routes in thewomb by transplacental spread, during delivery through a infected birth canal,and after birth by ingestion of breast milk.3. CAUSESIt is little doubt that AIDS is caused by HIV-I, a human type Cretrovirus ( RNA virus the contains the enzyme, reverse transcriptase , to