This assignment will give an outline of pathogens and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) also the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). How HIV is spread and where the virus comes from. The assignment will also look into who discovered HIV and also when it was discovered and which was found first between HIV and AIDS also if HIV and AIDS are somewhat related. Also give a brief description what a pathogen is, also what types of pathogens there are, and look into the human immune system and discuss CD4, T cells and B cells and what these cells do for the body. What medication is available and whether or not there is a cure for HIV and AIDS also what the signs and symptoms are of HIV and AIDS. The assignment will also research on statistics on how many people are affected by HIV. Finally this assignment will go into some detail on how HIV develops into full blown AIDS and what treatment there is for Aids patients also how long this takes to happen. What life span an infected person is expected to have once infected.
Pathogens are microbes that cause disease. They are all around the environment and have evolved to spread from person to person in a variety of ways. There are four types of pathogens that could cause problems in humans these are,
AMOEBIC
Dysentery, Malaria, Sleeping sickness, also Toxoplasmosis.
BACTERIA
Throat infections, Tuberculosis, Food poisoning, Boils and cholera.
FUNGI
Ringworm, Aspergillosis, Athlete's foot also Thrush.
VIRUSES
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, HIV/AIDS, Influenza, German measles, Cold sores, Common cold and Chickenpox (Class notes 2009).
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Alan Whiteside 2008). HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. However, being HIV-positive, or having HIV disease, is not the same as having AIDS. 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. Some people do not feel ill at all when they are first infected. They may have no symptoms for a long time (class notes 2009). The infected person may look healthy and may also feel healthy, the only effective way of knowing if someone has been infected with HIV is through a blood test this test would show up HIV antibodies these are proteins the body uses to fight off infection (The body 2009). The UK AIDS statistics show by the end of 2007 there was approximately 77,400 people living with HIV in the UK alone, however 20,700 were not aware of their condition (AVERT 2009).
Further tests may be necessary if the test is negative if the doctor suspects the patient has contracted the HIV virus, this would be carried out in 4 to 6 weeks from the first blood test (ABC health & wellbeing 2005).
However, some symptoms of HIV infection may include extreme tiredness, sometimes together with headache, dizziness with/or light-headedness; swollen glands in the neck; armpits or groin; continued fever...
