Wirus hiv i aids – Etiologia i przyczyny

Wirus hiv i aids
Etiologia i przyczyny

Wirus HIV, należący do retrowirusów z rodzaju Lentivirus, atakuje układ odpornościowy, głównie limfocyty CD4+ T, prowadząc do stopniowego ich spadku i rozwoju zespołu nabytego niedoboru odporności (AIDS). Istnieją dwa główne typy wirusa: HIV-1, dominujący globalnie i charakteryzujący się większą zjadliwością, oraz HIV-2, występujący głównie w Afryce Zachodniej, o wolniejszej progresji choroby. Zakażenie następuje przez kontakt z płynami ustrojowymi, takimi jak krew, nasienie, wydzielina pochwowa czy mleko matki. Bez leczenia liczba komórek CD4+ spada poniżej 200/mm³ (norma 500-1500/mm³), co definiuje AIDS i prowadzi do podatności na infekcje oportunistyczne oraz nowotwory związane z HIV, takie jak mięsak Kaposiego czy chłoniaki. Mechanizmy utraty komórek CD4+ obejmują bezpośrednie zakażenie, piroptozę, apoptozę oraz przewlekłą aktywację immunologiczną.

Etiologia wirusa HIV i AIDS

Wirus ludzkiego niedoboru odporności (HIV) jest retrowirusem z rodzaju Lentivirus, który powoduje zespół nabytego niedoboru odporności (AIDS). HIV atakuje układ odpornościowy organizmu, zwłaszcza limfocyty CD4+ T, osłabiając zdolność organizmu do zwalczania infekcji i chorób¹². Istnieją dwa główne typy wirusa: HIV-1 i HIV-2, które choć strukturalnie podobne, znacząco różnią się na poziomie aminokwasów i nukleotydów³⁴.

Pochodzenie wirusa HIV

HIV-1, odpowiedzialny za większość zakażeń na świecie, prawdopodobnie rozwinął się z wirusa SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) występującego u szympansów w Afryce Środkowo-Zachodniej⁵⁶. Najwcześniejszy znany przypadek zakażenia HIV-1 u człowieka wykryto w próbce krwi pobranej w 1959 roku od mężczyzny w Kinszasie, w Demokratycznej Republice Konga⁷. Analiza genetyczna wskazuje, że wirus mógł wywodzić się z pojedynczego wariantu wirusa z późnych lat 40. lub wczesnych 50. XX wieku⁸.

HIV-2 natomiast jest blisko spokrewniony z wirusem zakażającym mangaby szare w Afryce Zachodniej⁹¹⁰. Przeniesienie wirusów na ludzi prawdopodobnie nastąpiło poprzez kontakt z krwią zakażonych zwierząt podczas polowań¹¹¹².

Różnice między HIV-1 i HIV-2

Obydwa typy wirusa powodują podobne stany chorobowe, ale różnią się ryzykiem transmisji i progresji¹³. HIV-1 odpowiada za większość zakażeń na świecie i charakteryzuje się większą zjadliwością¹⁴¹⁵. HIV-2 występuje głównie w Afryce Zachodniej, niesie nieco mniejsze ryzyko transmisji i zwykle wolniej rozwija się do pełnoobjawowego AIDS¹⁶¹⁷.

Mechanizm patogenezy HIV

HIV infekuje organizm ludzki w złożony sposób, który prowadzi do stopniowego niszczenia układu odpornościowego. Zrozumienie tego procesu jest kluczowe dla opracowania skutecznych metod leczenia i zapobiegania AIDS.

Infekcja i replikacja wirusa

HIV po dostaniu się do organizmu atakuje głównie komórki CD4+ T, makrofagi oraz komórki dendrytyczne, które są kluczowymi elementami komórkowego układu odpornościowego¹⁸¹⁹. Wirus łączy się z receptorami CD4 na powierzchni tych komórek, a następnie wykorzystuje ich maszynerię komórkową do produkcji nowych cząsteczek wirusa²⁰.

Po zakażeniu komórki CD4+ T, wirus replikuje się, prowadząc do produkcji tysięcy kopii wirusa, które następnie opuszczają komórkę, zabijając ją w tym procesie²¹. Wirus HIV, jako retrowirus, zawiera materiał genetyczny w postaci RNA, który zostaje przepisany na DNA dzięki enzymowi odwrotnej transkryptazie, a następnie wbudowany do genomu komórki gospodarza²².

Niszczenie układu odpornościowego

Spadek liczby komórek CD4+ T prowadzi do osłabienia układu odpornościowego i postępującej podatności na infekcje oportunistyczne²³. Mechanizmy utraty komórek CD4+ T obejmują:

Bezpośrednie zabijanie zainfekowanych komórek przez wirusa²⁴
Piroptozę (programowana śmierć komórki) abortywnie zainfekowanych komórek T²⁵
Apoptozę niezainfekowanych komórek „obserwatorów”²⁶
Zabijanie zainfekowanych komórek CD4+ T przez limfocyty cytotoksyczne CD8+²⁷
Chroniczny stan aktywacji immunologicznej w odpowiedzi na przewlekłe zakażenie²⁸

Bezpośrednie efekty cytotoksyczne replikacji wirusa prawdopodobnie nie są główną przyczyną utraty komórek CD4+ T. Znaczący „efekt obserwatora” wydaje się być wtórny do apoptozy komórek T jako część nadmiernej aktywacji immunologicznej w odpowiedzi na przewlekłe zakażenie²⁹.

Progresja do AIDS

AIDS jest zdefiniowany jako najbardziej zaawansowane stadium zakażenia HIV³⁰. Diagnoza AIDS jest stawiana, gdy:

Liczba komórek CD4+ spada poniżej 200 komórek na milimetr sześcienny krwi (w porównaniu do 500-1500 komórek u zdrowych osób)³¹³²
U osoby zakażonej HIV rozwija się jedna z chorób definiujących AIDS, niezależnie od liczby komórek CD4+³³

Bez leczenia HIV zazwyczaj postępuje do AIDS w ciągu 8-10 lat, choć czas ten może znacznie się różnić w zależności od indywidualnych czynników³⁴³⁵.

Drogi zakażenia HIV

HIV przenosi się przez kontakt z określonymi płynami ustrojowymi osoby zakażonej. Zrozumienie dróg zakażenia jest kluczowe dla skutecznej profilaktyki.

Główne drogi transmisji

HIV może być przenoszony poprzez następujące płyny ustrojowe³⁶³⁷:

Krew
Nasienie i płyn przedejakulacyjny
Płyny odbytnicze
Wydzielina pochwowa
Mleko matki

Najczęstsze drogi zakażenia HIV to³⁸³⁹:

Niezabezpieczony stosunek seksualny (analny, pochwowy lub oralny) z osobą zakażoną
Wspólne używanie igieł lub strzykawek z osobą zakażoną (np. przy iniekcjach narkotyków)
Transmisja z matki na dziecko podczas ciąży, porodu lub karmienia piersią

W Stanach Zjednoczonych i wielu innych krajach rozwiniętych, HIV przenosi się głównie przez niezabezpieczony stosunek płciowy bez prezerwatywy z osobą, która jest zakażona HIV i nie przyjmuje leków antyretrowirusowych lub ma wykrywalną wiremię⁴⁰.

Rzadsze drogi zakażenia

Mniej powszechne drogi zakażenia HIV obejmują⁴¹:

Przypadkowe ekspozycje na igłę (np. u pracowników służby zdrowia)
Transfuzje krwi lub przeszczepy narządów skażonych HIV (bardzo rzadkie w krajach z rygorystycznymi badaniami krwi)
Seks oralny lub głębokie pocałunki, jeśli występują otwarte rany, krwawiące dziąsła, owrzodzenia lub choroby przenoszone drogą płciową
Ugryzienie przez osobę z HIV lub spożywanie wstępnie przeżutego pokarmu po takiej osobie

Warto zaznaczyć, że ryzyko zakażenia HIV przez seks oralny jest bardzo niskie i zależy od wielu czynników, takich jak higiena jamy ustnej osoby wykonującej tę czynność⁴².

Czynniki zwiększające ryzyko zakażenia

Niektóre czynniki mogą zwiększać ryzyko zakażenia HIV⁴³⁴⁴:

Wysoki poziom wirusa u partnera seksualnego (wiremii)
Obecność innych infekcji przenoszonych drogą płciową
Używanie alkoholu lub narkotyków, które mogą prowadzić do ryzykownych zachowań
Liczne kontakty seksualne lub wielu partnerów seksualnych
Niezabezpieczony stosunek płciowy
Dzielenie się igłami do iniekcji

Grupy podwyższonego ryzyka zakażenia HIV obejmują⁴⁵:

Mężczyzn mających kontakty seksualne z mężczyznami (MSM)
Osoby zażywające narkotyki drogą iniekcji
Osoby transpłciowe, szczególnie kobiety transpłciowe
Osoby z innymi chorobami przenoszonymi drogą płciową

Patofizjologia HIV/AIDS

Zakażenie HIV prowadzi do złożonych zmian patofizjologicznych, które ostatecznie mogą doprowadzić do rozwoju AIDS. Zrozumienie tych procesów jest kluczowe dla skutecznego leczenia i zapobiegania progresji choroby.

Stadia infekcji HIV

Zakażenie HIV zwykle postępuje przez trzy główne stadia, jeśli nie jest leczone⁴⁶:

Stadium ostre (pierwotne zakażenie HIV) – występuje w ciągu 2-4 tygodni po zakażeniu. U niektórych osób mogą wystąpić objawy grypopodobne, które zazwyczaj ustępują samoistnie po kilku tygodniach⁴⁷.
Stadium przewlekłe (klinicznie bezobjawowe) – może trwać wiele lat, często bez wyraźnych objawów. W tym czasie wirus nadal replikuje się i niszczy komórki CD4+⁴⁸.
AIDS (zaawansowana choroba) – końcowe stadium zakażenia HIV, charakteryzujące się poważnym uszkodzeniem układu odpornościowego i podatnością na infekcje oportunistyczne i nowotwory⁴⁹.

Wpływ na układ odpornościowy

HIV atakuje i uszkadza układ odpornościowy na kilka sposobów⁵⁰:

Bezpośrednie zakażenie i niszczenie komórek CD4+ T, które są kluczowe dla koordynacji odpowiedzi immunologicznej⁵¹
Chroniczna aktywacja immunologiczna, prowadząca do wyczerpania układu odpornościowego⁵²
Zaburzenia produkcji przeciwciał przez limfocyty B⁵³
Niszczenie architektury węzłów chłonnych i narządów immunologicznych⁵⁴

Spadek liczby komórek CD4+ T prowadzi do inwersji prawidłowego stosunku CD4/CD8 i zaburzenia produkcji przeciwciał przez limfocyty B⁵⁵. Bez leczenia, poziom wirusa we krwi (wiremia) zazwyczaj rośnie, podczas gdy liczba komórek CD4+ spada⁵⁶.

Konsekwencje kliniczne

Osłabienie układu odpornościowego przez HIV prowadzi do szeregu poważnych konsekwencji klinicznych⁵⁷:

Infekcje oportunistyczne – zakażenia spowodowane przez patogeny, które zwykle nie powodują choroby u osób z prawidłowo funkcjonującym układem odpornościowym. Obejmują one m.in. zapalenie płuc wywołane przez Pneumocystis jirovecii (PJP), gruźlicę, kryptokokowe zapalenie opon mózgowych i inne⁵⁸⁵⁹.
Nowotwory związane z HIV – w tym mięsak Kaposiego, chłoniaki i rak szyjki macicy⁶⁰.
Wyniszczenie organizmu – znaczna utrata masy ciała i kacheksja⁶¹.
Neuropatia i demencja – zaburzenia neurologiczne związane z HIV⁶².

Zakażenie HIV może również nasilać inne infekcje wirusowe, takie jak wirusowe zapalenie wątroby typu B i C oraz infekcję mpox (dawniej: małpia ospa)⁶³.

Związek z nowotworami

Osoby zakażone HIV mają podwyższone ryzyko rozwoju określonych nowotworów, nazywanych nowotworami związanymi z HIV⁶⁴. Większość z tych nowotworów jest spowodowana przez wirusy, co wynika z osłabienia układu odpornościowego przez HIV, zmniejszającego zdolność organizmu do zwalczania infekcji wirusowych lub komórek prekursorowych raka zakażonych wirusem.

Wirusy najczęściej powodujące nowotwory u osób zakażonych HIV to⁶⁵:

Ludzki herpeswirus typu 8 (KSHV) – powodujący mięsaka Kaposiego
Wirus Epsteina-Barr (EBV) – związany z chłoniakami
Wirus brodawczaka ludzkiego (HPV) – powodujący raka szyjki macicy i inne nowotwory
Wirusy zapalenia wątroby typu B (HBV) i C (HCV) – związane z rakiem wątroby

Kontrowersje wokół HIV jako przyczyny AIDS

Chociaż dowody naukowe jednoznacznie wskazują, że HIV jest przyczyną AIDS, w historii badań nad tą chorobą pojawiły się pewne kontrowersje i alternatywne hipotezy.

Hipoteza Duesberga

W latach 80. i 90. XX wieku, pewni naukowcy, w tym Peter Duesberg, kwestionowali związek przyczynowy między HIV a AIDS. Argumenty przeciwko hipotezie HIV-AIDS obejmowały⁶⁶:

Niespełnienie postulatów Kocha: wolny wirus nie jest wykrywalny w większości przypadków AIDS; wirus można wyizolować tylko poprzez reaktywację in vitro z kilku latentnie zakażonych limfocytów; czysty HIV nie powoduje AIDS przy eksperymentalnym zakażeniu szympansów lub przypadkowym zakażeniu zdrowych ludzi⁶⁷.
Argumentacja, że HIV nie jest wystarczający do wywołania AIDS i może nawet nie być konieczny, ponieważ jego aktywność jest tak samo niska u nosicieli objawowych, jak i bezobjawowych⁶⁸.
Sugestia, że korelacja między przeciwciałami przeciwko HIV a AIDS nie dowodzi przyczynowości, ponieważ choroby skądinąd nieodróżnialne są obecnie rozróżniane tylko na podstawie tego przeciwciała⁶⁹.

Alternatywne hipotezy

Zaproponowano również alternatywne wyjaśnienia przyczyn AIDS⁷⁰:

AIDS u narkomanów i homoseksualistów w USA i Europie wynika z intensywnego stosowania glikokortykoidów i innych środków immunosupresyjnych⁷¹.
AIDS u hemofilików związany jest ze stosowaniem kortykosteroidów i innych środków immunosupresyjnych w celu zapobiegania rozwojowi przeciwciał przeciwko czynnikom VIII i IX⁷².
AIDS u niemowląt i dzieci jest spowodowany ekspozycją na leki i kortykosteroidy in utero i po urodzeniu⁷³.
AIDS w Afryce wynika z niedożywienia, wynikającego z tego uwalniania endogennego kortyzolu i chorób oportunistycznych⁷⁴.

Naukowy konsensus

Mimo tych kontrowersji, obecny konsensus naukowy jednoznacznie potwierdza, że HIV jest przyczyną AIDS⁷⁵. Główne dowody na to obejmują:

Zakażenie HIV było jedynym wspólnym czynnikiem wśród przypadków AIDS na całym świecie w różnych grupach ryzyka⁷⁶.
Badania epidemiologiczne, w tym śledzenie partnerów seksualnych pacjentów i przypadki występujące u osób otrzymujących transfuzje krwi, wskazywały na czynnik zakaźny⁷⁷.
Wprowadzenie skojarzonej terapii antyretrowirusowej (cART) w połowie lat 90. znacznie zmniejszyło częstość występowania określonych nowotworów, zwłaszcza mięsaka Kaposiego i chłoniaka nieziarniczego, u osób żyjących z HIV⁷⁸.
Liczba przypadków AIDS spadła wraz z wprowadzeniem skutecznego leczenia przeciwko HIV⁷⁹.

Globalny wpływ HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS ma znaczący wpływ na zdrowie publiczne, gospodarkę i społeczeństwa na całym świecie, szczególnie w regionach o wysokiej częstości występowania wirusa.

Epidemiologia globalna

HIV/AIDS jest jedną z najbardziej śmiertelnych chorób zakaźnych na świecie, szczególnie w Afryce Subsaharyjskiej, gdzie choroba miała ogromny wpływ na wskaźniki zdrowia i długość życia w ostatnich dziesięcioleciach⁸⁰.

Według badania Global Burden of Disease, prawie milion osób umiera co roku z powodu HIV/AIDS⁸¹.
Od początku epidemii wirusem HIV zakaziło się około 88 milionów ludzi⁸².
Obecnie z HIV żyje około 40 milionów osób, a dziesiątki milionów zmarło z powodu chorób związanych z AIDS od początku epidemii⁸³.
W niektórych krajach HIV/AIDS jest przyczyną jednej czwartej wszystkich zgonów⁸⁴.

Wpływ na społeczeństwo i gospodarkę

HIV/AIDS ma daleko idące konsekwencje społeczno-ekonomiczne⁸⁵:

Dotyka głównie osoby w najbardziej produktywnych latach życia, wpływając nie tylko na zdrowie jednostek, ale także na gospodarstwa domowe, społeczności oraz rozwój i wzrost gospodarczy krajów⁸⁶.
HIV doprowadził do ponownego pojawienia się gruźlicy, szczególnie w Afryce, a gruźlica jest główną przyczyną śmierci osób żyjących z HIV na całym świecie⁸⁷.
Przed powszechną dostępnością leków antyretrowirusowych w Afryce, ponad 20 milionów ludzi zmarło z powodu chorób związanych z AIDS w tym regionie, pozostawiając miliony osieroconych dzieci⁸⁸.

Wpływ na dzieci

Dzieci są szczególnie narażone na konsekwencje epidemii HIV/AIDS⁸⁹:

Według analizy modelowej, bez stabilnego finansowania programów PEPFAR (Prezydencki Plan Awaryjny Pomocy w Walce z AIDS), do 2030 roku milion dzieci może zostać zakażonych HIV, a prawie 500 000 może umrzeć z powodu AIDS⁹⁰.
Większość przypadków AIDS u dzieci wynika z przeniesienia wirusa z matki na dziecko podczas ciąży, co sprawia, że zapobieganie przenoszeniu z matki na dziecko jest kluczowe dla zapobiegania zakażeniu HIV u dzieci⁹¹.
Wysiłki PEPFAR znacząco przyczyniły się do zmniejszenia liczby sierot z powodu AIDS z ponad 14 milionów dzieci w 2010 roku do 10,5 miliona do 2023 roku⁹².

Aktualne zrozumienie etiologii HIV/AIDS

Nasze obecne zrozumienie etiologii HIV/AIDS opiera się na dziesiątkach lat badań i obserwacji klinicznych. Chociaż wciąż istnieją pewne luki w wiedzy, główne mechanizmy zakażenia i progresji choroby są dobrze poznane.

Kluczowe ustalenia naukowe

Najważniejsze ustalenia dotyczące etiologii HIV/AIDS obejmują⁹³⁹⁴:

HIV jest retrowirusem, który atakuje układ odpornościowy, szczególnie komórki CD4+ T, osłabiając zdolność organizmu do zwalczania infekcji⁹⁵.
HIV-1 i HIV-2 to dwa główne typy wirusa, pochodzące z różnych źródeł zwierzęcych i charakteryzujące się różnym stopniem zjadliwości i rozprzestrzeniania⁹⁶.
Wirus przenosi się głównie przez kontakt z płynami ustrojowymi osoby zakażonej, w tym krwią, nasieniem, wydzieliną pochwową i mlekiem matki⁹⁷.
Nieleczone zakażenie HIV prowadzi do postępującego niszczenia układu odpornościowego, co ostatecznie prowadzi do AIDS – stanu, w którym organizm nie jest w stanie bronić się przed infekcjami oportunistycznymi i niektórymi nowotworami⁹⁸.

Znaczenie dla leczenia i profilaktyki

Zrozumienie etiologii HIV/AIDS ma kluczowe znaczenie dla opracowania skutecznych strategii leczenia i profilaktyki⁹⁹¹⁰⁰:

Leki antyretrowirusowe działają przeciwko zakażeniu HIV, blokując replikację wirusa w organizmie¹⁰¹.
Skuteczna terapia antyretrowirusowa może zapobiec progresji do AIDS i umożliwić osobom zakażonym HIV prowadzenie długiego, zdrowego życia¹⁰².
Zrozumienie dróg transmisji pozwoliło na opracowanie skutecznych strategii profilaktycznych, takich jak stosowanie prezerwatyw, profilaktyka przedekspozycyjna (PrEP) i profilaktyka poekspozycyjna (PEP)¹⁰³.
Leczenie zakażenia HIV u ciężarnych kobiet może znacząco zmniejszyć ryzyko przeniesienia wirusa na dziecko¹⁰⁴.

Nierozwiązane pytania

Mimo znaczących postępów w zrozumieniu etiologii HIV/AIDS, wciąż istnieją nierozwiązane pytania i wyzwania¹⁰⁵¹⁰⁶:

Szczegółowy mechanizm niszczenia komórek CD4+ T przez HIV nie jest w pełni zrozumiany¹⁰⁷.
Nadal nie opracowano skutecznej szczepionki przeciwko HIV, mimo znacznych wysiłków badawczych¹⁰⁸.
Istnieją różnice geograficzne i etniczne w występowaniu chorób oportunistycznych związanych z HIV, które wymagają dalszych badań¹⁰⁹.
Wpływ czynników genetycznych gospodarza na podatność i progresję zakażenia HIV jest obszarem aktywnych badań¹¹⁰.

Zrozumienie złożoności etiologii HIV/AIDS pozostaje kluczowe dla rozwoju lepszych metod profilaktyki, diagnostyki i leczenia tej poważnej choroby, która nadal stanowi istotne wyzwanie dla zdrowia publicznego na całym świecie.

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Materiały źródłowe

#1 HIV/AIDS – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiv-aids/symptoms-causes/syc-20373524
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is an ongoing, also called chronic, condition. It’s caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, also called HIV. […] HIV is caused by a virus. It can spread through sexual contact, shooting of illicit drugs or use of shared needles, and contact with infected blood. It also can spread from parent to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. […] HIV destroys white blood cells called CD4 T cells. These cells play a large role in helping the body fight disease. The fewer CD4 T cells you have, the weaker your immune system becomes. […] You can have an HIV infection with few or no symptoms for years before it turns into AIDS. AIDS is diagnosed when the CD4 T cell count falls below 200 or you have a complication you get only if you have AIDS, such as a serious infection or cancer.
#2 HIV and AIDS – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534860/
HIV is part of the Retroviridae family in the Lentivirus genus. The virus mainly targets CD4+ T-lymphocyte helper cells, leading to extreme immune suppression with a continuous loss of cells. This suppression weakens the immune system and causes many clinical manifestations. Untreated HIV eventually progresses to AIDS. At this stage, the immune system cannot prevent infections, resulting in death due to opportunistic infections. Two main types of HIV include HIV-1 and HIV-2. Although their genomes are structurally similar, they diverge significantly at the amino acid level. The 2 viruses result from 2 different zoonotic transmissions of simian immunodeficiency viruses and, as a result, have substantial differences in their severity, transmissibility, and prognosis. Note that HIV-1 and HIV-2 are only 60% identical at the amino acid level and have a mere 48% identity similarity at the nucleotide level. […] HIV is transmitted through various body fluids, such as blood, amniotic fluid, breast milk, semen, pre-ejaculate, rectal fluids, and vaginal fluids. HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact, during pregnancy and delivery, and through fomites, such as reusable medical equipment or syringes.
#3 HIV and AIDS – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534860/
HIV is part of the Retroviridae family in the Lentivirus genus. The virus mainly targets CD4+ T-lymphocyte helper cells, leading to extreme immune suppression with a continuous loss of cells. This suppression weakens the immune system and causes many clinical manifestations. Untreated HIV eventually progresses to AIDS. At this stage, the immune system cannot prevent infections, resulting in death due to opportunistic infections. Two main types of HIV include HIV-1 and HIV-2. Although their genomes are structurally similar, they diverge significantly at the amino acid level. The 2 viruses result from 2 different zoonotic transmissions of simian immunodeficiency viruses and, as a result, have substantial differences in their severity, transmissibility, and prognosis. Note that HIV-1 and HIV-2 are only 60% identical at the amino acid level and have a mere 48% identity similarity at the nucleotide level. […] HIV is transmitted through various body fluids, such as blood, amniotic fluid, breast milk, semen, pre-ejaculate, rectal fluids, and vaginal fluids. HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact, during pregnancy and delivery, and through fomites, such as reusable medical equipment or syringes.
#4 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection – Infections – Merck Manual Consumer Version
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a viral infection that progressively destroys certain white blood cells and is treated with antiretroviral medications. If untreated, it can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is sometimes referred to as end-stage HIV infection. […] HIV infections may be caused by 1 of 2 retroviruses, HIV-1 or HIV-2. HIV-1 causes most HIV infections worldwide, but HIV-2 causes many HIV infections in West Africa. HIV-2 appears to be less severe than HIV-1. […] HIV progressively destroys certain types of white blood cells called CD4+ lymphocytes. Lymphocytes help defend the body against foreign cells, infectious organisms, and cancer. Thus, when HIV destroys CD4+ lymphocytes, people become susceptible to attack by many other infectious organisms. Many of the complications of HIV infection, including death, usually result from these other infections and not from HIV infection directly.
#5 Etiology of HIV: Where it originated and how it infects the body
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/etiology-hiv
HIV came from a type of virus in chimpanzees called the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). It likely spread to humans after they came into contact with the blood carrying the infection after hunting chimpanzees for food. […] The CDC states that humans most likely contracted SIV after coming into contact with blood carrying the infection after hunting the chimpanzees for meat. […] HIV is a type of virus that causes changes to the cells in the persons body. The changes to the cells cause the altered cells to produce more of the virus, which can eventually cause an individual to lose immune system functioning.
#6 1. Part I: Etiology and Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS | ATrain Education
https://www.atrainceu.com/content/1-part-i-etiology-and-epidemiology-hivaids-0
#7 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
https://oeps.wv.gov/hiv-aids/pages/hiv-aids_faq.aspx
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is the virus that causes AIDS. […] Some of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection. […] AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Acquired: The disease is not hereditary but develops after birth from contact with a disease causing agent (in this case, HIV). […] A diagnosis of AIDS is made by a physician using specific clinical or laboratory standards. […] The earliest known case of HIV-1 in a human was from a blood sample collected in 1959 from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. […] The researchers believe that HIV-1 was introduced into the human population when hunters became exposed to infected blood from those chimpanzees. […] HIV replicates in (and ultimately destroys) a certain kind of blood cell (CD4 T cells) which is crucial to the normal function of the human immune system. […] However, sensitive tests have shown a strong connection between the amount of HIV in the blood and the decline in CD4 T cells and the development of AIDS. […] On average, the untreated HIV infected patient will progress to AIDS in about 5-10 years. […] While HIV infection cannot at present be cured, patients that are newly diagnosed with HIV that stay in care can be expected to have near normal life expectancies if they take their medications.
#8 What is HIV/AIDS? | doh
https://dchealth.dc.gov/page/what-hivaids
HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. […] HIV damages a persons body by destroying specific blood cells, called CD4+ T cells, which are crucial to helping the body fight diseases. […] The earliest known case of infection with HIV-1 in a human was detected in a blood sample collected in 1959 from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (How he became infected is not known.) Genetic analysis of this blood sample suggested that HIV-1 may have stemmed from a single virus in the late 1940s or early 1950s. […] In 1983, scientists discovered the virus that causes AIDS. The virus was at first named HTLV-III/LAV (human T-cell lymphotropic virus-type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus) by an international scientific committee. This name was later changed to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
#9 Azthena logo with the word Azthena
https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-Causes-AIDS.aspx
HIV or Human Immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus that was first found in 1983. The virus is responsible for causing AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). […] Once within the body the HIV infects cells of the immune system that form the bodys defence system and makes them unable to fight off infections. […] The virus enters the immune systems CD4 cells, which protect the body against various bacteria, viruses and other germs. The CD4 cells are then used to make thousands of copies of the virus. These copies then leave the CD4 cells, killing them in the process. […] As the virus starts to multiply the CD4 cell count thus decreases dramatically. HIV infection takes nearly 10 years or more to manifest into full blown AIDS case. […] HIV-1 is the cause of the current worldwide pandemic while HIV-2 is found in west Africa but rarely elsewhere. […] HIV-1 resulted from human infection by SIVcpz that infects chimpanzees and HIV-2 resulted from infection by SIVsmm harbored by sooty mangabeys. HIV-2 is closely related to the SIV found in west Africa.
#10 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
HIV disease is caused by infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2, both of which cause very similar conditions. They differ in transmission and progression risks. […] HIV-1 probably originated from one or more cross-species transfers from chimpanzees in central Africa. […] HIV-2 is closely related to viruses that infect sooty mangabeys in western Africa. […] HIV-2 carries a slightly lower risk for transmission, and HIV-2 infection tends to progress more slowly to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] The specific details of the disease process that leads to AIDS are not fully understood despite considerable progress in the virology of HIV and the immunology of the human host, much of which has been driven by the urge to better understand AIDS. […] There is a specific decline in the CD4 helper T cells, resulting in inversion of the normal CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and dysregulation of B-cell antibody production.
#11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
https://oeps.wv.gov/hiv-aids/pages/hiv-aids_faq.aspx
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is the virus that causes AIDS. […] Some of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection. […] AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Acquired: The disease is not hereditary but develops after birth from contact with a disease causing agent (in this case, HIV). […] A diagnosis of AIDS is made by a physician using specific clinical or laboratory standards. […] The earliest known case of HIV-1 in a human was from a blood sample collected in 1959 from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. […] The researchers believe that HIV-1 was introduced into the human population when hunters became exposed to infected blood from those chimpanzees. […] HIV replicates in (and ultimately destroys) a certain kind of blood cell (CD4 T cells) which is crucial to the normal function of the human immune system. […] However, sensitive tests have shown a strong connection between the amount of HIV in the blood and the decline in CD4 T cells and the development of AIDS. […] On average, the untreated HIV infected patient will progress to AIDS in about 5-10 years. […] While HIV infection cannot at present be cured, patients that are newly diagnosed with HIV that stay in care can be expected to have near normal life expectancies if they take their medications.
#12 Etiology of HIV: Where it originated and how it infects the body
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/etiology-hiv
HIV came from a type of virus in chimpanzees called the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). It likely spread to humans after they came into contact with the blood carrying the infection after hunting chimpanzees for food. […] The CDC states that humans most likely contracted SIV after coming into contact with blood carrying the infection after hunting the chimpanzees for meat. […] HIV is a type of virus that causes changes to the cells in the persons body. The changes to the cells cause the altered cells to produce more of the virus, which can eventually cause an individual to lose immune system functioning.
#13 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
HIV disease is caused by infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2, both of which cause very similar conditions. They differ in transmission and progression risks. […] HIV-1 probably originated from one or more cross-species transfers from chimpanzees in central Africa. […] HIV-2 is closely related to viruses that infect sooty mangabeys in western Africa. […] HIV-2 carries a slightly lower risk for transmission, and HIV-2 infection tends to progress more slowly to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] The specific details of the disease process that leads to AIDS are not fully understood despite considerable progress in the virology of HIV and the immunology of the human host, much of which has been driven by the urge to better understand AIDS. […] There is a specific decline in the CD4 helper T cells, resulting in inversion of the normal CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and dysregulation of B-cell antibody production.
#14 HIV and AIDS: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments
https://www.verywellhealth.com/hiv-aids-5216828
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that causes disease by damaging the immune system. When the damage is severe and the body’s immune defenses are compromised, a person is said to have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is the most advanced stage of HIV infection when the immune system has been compromised, leaving the body vulnerable to a wide range of potentially life-threatening opportunistic infections. […] If left untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS in about eight to 10 years. Some people progress far more quickly. […] HIV is a virus that can lead to AIDS if left untreated. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection where the body’s immune defenses have been compromised. […] HIV is a type of virus that is believed to have made the jump from animals to humans. There are two types of HIV that not only have different genetic origins but different rates of infectivity (the ability to be transmitted) and virulence (the ability to cause disease):
#15 Azthena logo with the word Azthena
https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-Causes-AIDS.aspx
HIV or Human Immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus that was first found in 1983. The virus is responsible for causing AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). […] Once within the body the HIV infects cells of the immune system that form the bodys defence system and makes them unable to fight off infections. […] The virus enters the immune systems CD4 cells, which protect the body against various bacteria, viruses and other germs. The CD4 cells are then used to make thousands of copies of the virus. These copies then leave the CD4 cells, killing them in the process. […] As the virus starts to multiply the CD4 cell count thus decreases dramatically. HIV infection takes nearly 10 years or more to manifest into full blown AIDS case. […] HIV-1 is the cause of the current worldwide pandemic while HIV-2 is found in west Africa but rarely elsewhere. […] HIV-1 resulted from human infection by SIVcpz that infects chimpanzees and HIV-2 resulted from infection by SIVsmm harbored by sooty mangabeys. HIV-2 is closely related to the SIV found in west Africa.
#16 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
HIV disease is caused by infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2, both of which cause very similar conditions. They differ in transmission and progression risks. […] HIV-1 probably originated from one or more cross-species transfers from chimpanzees in central Africa. […] HIV-2 is closely related to viruses that infect sooty mangabeys in western Africa. […] HIV-2 carries a slightly lower risk for transmission, and HIV-2 infection tends to progress more slowly to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] The specific details of the disease process that leads to AIDS are not fully understood despite considerable progress in the virology of HIV and the immunology of the human host, much of which has been driven by the urge to better understand AIDS. […] There is a specific decline in the CD4 helper T cells, resulting in inversion of the normal CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and dysregulation of B-cell antibody production.
#17 HIV – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV
HIV-2 is much less pathogenic than HIV-1 and is restricted in its worldwide distribution to West Africa. The adoption of „accessory genes” by HIV-2 and its more promiscuous pattern of co-receptor usage (including CD4-independence) may assist the virus in its adaptation to avoid innate restriction factors present in host cells. Adaptation to use normal cellular machinery to enable transmission and productive infection has also aided the establishment of HIV-2 replication in humans. A survival strategy for any infectious agent is not to kill its host, but ultimately become a commensal organism. Having achieved a low pathogenicity, over time, variants that are more successful at transmission will be selected.
#18 HIV – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype. […] In most cases, HIV is a sexually transmitted infection and occurs by contact with or transfer of blood, pre-ejaculate, semen, and vaginal fluids. Non-sexual transmission can occur from an infected mother to her infant during pregnancy, during childbirth by exposure to her blood or vaginal fluid, and through breast milk. […] HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system, such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through a number of mechanisms, including pyroptosis of abortively infected T cells, apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of infected cells, and killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections, leading to the development of AIDS.
#19 HIV and AIDS – Basic facts | UNAIDS
https://www.unaids.org/en/frequently-asked-questions-about-hiv-and-aids
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system (mainly CD4-positive T-cells and macrophageskey components of the cellular immune system) and destroys or impairs their function. Infection with this virus results in the progressive depletion of the immune system, leading to immunodeficiency. […] Infection with HIV has been established as the underlying cause of AIDS. […] HIV infection causes a gradual depletion and weakening of the immune system. This results in an increased susceptibility of the body to infections and cancers and can lead to the development of AIDS (see questions 2 and 4). […] The majority of people infected with HIV, if not treated, develop signs of AIDS within eight to 10 years. […] AIDS is identified on the basis of certain infections.
#20 HIV/AIDS – Harvard Health
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/hivaids-a-to-z
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) weakens the body’s immune defenses by destroying CD4 (T-cell) lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. […] Since 1981, when doctors first recognized HIV/AIDS as a new illness, scientists have learned much about how a person becomes infected with HIV. The virus is spread through contact with an infected person’s body fluids, especially through blood, semen and vaginal fluids. […] Once inside the body, HIV particles invade CD4 cells and use the cells’ own building machinery and materials to produce billions of new HIV particles. […] Once someone is infected with HIV, the number of their CD4 cells continues to decrease. HIV is actively copying itself and killing CD4 cells from the time the infection starts. Eventually, the number of CD4 cells drops below the threshold level needed to defend the body against infections, and the person develops AIDS.
#21 Azthena logo with the word Azthena
https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-Causes-AIDS.aspx
HIV or Human Immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus that was first found in 1983. The virus is responsible for causing AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). […] Once within the body the HIV infects cells of the immune system that form the bodys defence system and makes them unable to fight off infections. […] The virus enters the immune systems CD4 cells, which protect the body against various bacteria, viruses and other germs. The CD4 cells are then used to make thousands of copies of the virus. These copies then leave the CD4 cells, killing them in the process. […] As the virus starts to multiply the CD4 cell count thus decreases dramatically. HIV infection takes nearly 10 years or more to manifest into full blown AIDS case. […] HIV-1 is the cause of the current worldwide pandemic while HIV-2 is found in west Africa but rarely elsewhere. […] HIV-1 resulted from human infection by SIVcpz that infects chimpanzees and HIV-2 resulted from infection by SIVsmm harbored by sooty mangabeys. HIV-2 is closely related to the SIV found in west Africa.
#22 HIV/AIDS Symptoms, Treatment, Causes, Prevention
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/hivaids/article_em.htm
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that most likely mutated decades ago from a virus that infected chimpanzees to one that infects humans. It began to spread beyond the African continent in the late 1970s and is now endemic worldwide. HIV causes disease because it attacks critical immune defense cells and over time overwhelms the immune system. […] Without treatment, HIV infection starts to cause symptoms in an average of eight to 10 years with AIDS-related opportunistic illnesses, or diseases that only cause illness in people with impaired immune function. This symptomatic phase has been referred to as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or HIV disease. […] HIV is one of a group of viruses known as retroviruses. After getting into the body, the virus enters many different cells, incorporates its genes into the human DNA, and hijacks the cell to produce HIV virus. Most importantly, HIV attacks cells of the body’s immune system called CD4 or T-helper cells (T cells). These cells are destroyed by the infection. The body tries to keep up by making new T cells or trying to contain the virus, but eventually the HIV wins out and progressively destroys the body’s ability to fight infections and certain cancers.
#23
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurs at the most advanced stage of infection. […] HIV targets the body’s white blood cells, weakening the immune system. This makes it easier to get sick with diseases like tuberculosis, infections and some cancers. […] HIV can be prevented and treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Untreated HIV can progress to AIDS, often after many years. […] HIV causes other infections to get worse, such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and mpox. […] There is no cure for HIV infection. It is treated with antiretroviral drugs, which stop the virus from replicating in the body. […] Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) does not cure HIV infection but allows a person’s immune system to get stronger. This helps them to fight other infections. […] Advanced HIV disease remains a persistent problem in the HIV response.
#24 HIV – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype. […] In most cases, HIV is a sexually transmitted infection and occurs by contact with or transfer of blood, pre-ejaculate, semen, and vaginal fluids. Non-sexual transmission can occur from an infected mother to her infant during pregnancy, during childbirth by exposure to her blood or vaginal fluid, and through breast milk. […] HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system, such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through a number of mechanisms, including pyroptosis of abortively infected T cells, apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of infected cells, and killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections, leading to the development of AIDS.
#25 HIV – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype. […] In most cases, HIV is a sexually transmitted infection and occurs by contact with or transfer of blood, pre-ejaculate, semen, and vaginal fluids. Non-sexual transmission can occur from an infected mother to her infant during pregnancy, during childbirth by exposure to her blood or vaginal fluid, and through breast milk. […] HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system, such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through a number of mechanisms, including pyroptosis of abortively infected T cells, apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of infected cells, and killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections, leading to the development of AIDS.
#26 HIV – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype. […] In most cases, HIV is a sexually transmitted infection and occurs by contact with or transfer of blood, pre-ejaculate, semen, and vaginal fluids. Non-sexual transmission can occur from an infected mother to her infant during pregnancy, during childbirth by exposure to her blood or vaginal fluid, and through breast milk. […] HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system, such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through a number of mechanisms, including pyroptosis of abortively infected T cells, apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of infected cells, and killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections, leading to the development of AIDS.
#27 HIV – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype. […] In most cases, HIV is a sexually transmitted infection and occurs by contact with or transfer of blood, pre-ejaculate, semen, and vaginal fluids. Non-sexual transmission can occur from an infected mother to her infant during pregnancy, during childbirth by exposure to her blood or vaginal fluid, and through breast milk. […] HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system, such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through a number of mechanisms, including pyroptosis of abortively infected T cells, apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of infected cells, and killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections, leading to the development of AIDS.
#28 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
Direct cytotoxic effects of viral replication likely are not the primary cause of CD4 T-cell loss; a significant bystander effect likely is secondary to T-cell apoptosis as part of immune hyperactivation in response to the chronic infection. […] Regardless of the cause for the disruption, a loss of thymic replacements in the face of an induced state of immune activation and T-cell loss seems to be a key component of the mechanism by which HIV narrows the T-cell repertoire and progresses to AIDS.
#29 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
Direct cytotoxic effects of viral replication likely are not the primary cause of CD4 T-cell loss; a significant bystander effect likely is secondary to T-cell apoptosis as part of immune hyperactivation in response to the chronic infection. […] Regardless of the cause for the disruption, a loss of thymic replacements in the face of an induced state of immune activation and T-cell loss seems to be a key component of the mechanism by which HIV narrows the T-cell repertoire and progresses to AIDS.
#30 HIV and AIDS: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and More
https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids
AIDS is a disease that can develop in people who have the HIV virus. Treatment with antiretroviral drugs can typically prevent AIDS from developing in people with HIV. […] HIV is a virus that damages the immune system. Untreated HIV affects and kills CD4 cells, which are a type of immune cell called T cell. […] Without treatment, a person with HIV is likely to develop a serious condition called the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, known as AIDS. […] AIDS is caused by HIV. A person cant get AIDS if they havent contracted HIV. […] Healthy individuals have a CD4 count of 500 to 1,500 per cubic millimeter. Without treatment, HIV continues to multiply and destroy CD4 cells. If a persons CD4 count falls below 200, they have AIDS. […] Also, if someone with HIV develops an opportunistic infection associated with HIV, they can still be diagnosed with AIDS, even if their CD4 count is above 200.
#31 HIV and AIDS: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and More
https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids
AIDS is a disease that can develop in people who have the HIV virus. Treatment with antiretroviral drugs can typically prevent AIDS from developing in people with HIV. […] HIV is a virus that damages the immune system. Untreated HIV affects and kills CD4 cells, which are a type of immune cell called T cell. […] Without treatment, a person with HIV is likely to develop a serious condition called the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, known as AIDS. […] AIDS is caused by HIV. A person cant get AIDS if they havent contracted HIV. […] Healthy individuals have a CD4 count of 500 to 1,500 per cubic millimeter. Without treatment, HIV continues to multiply and destroy CD4 cells. If a persons CD4 count falls below 200, they have AIDS. […] Also, if someone with HIV develops an opportunistic infection associated with HIV, they can still be diagnosed with AIDS, even if their CD4 count is above 200.
#32 What Is HIV? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
https://www.everydayhealth.com/hiv/guide/
HIV is a flimsy virus that can’t live for long outside the human body and can’t reproduce without a human host. […] A person is diagnosed with AIDS when one of two things happens: CD4 cell count drops from normal levels of 500-1,200 cells per cubic millimeter to 200 cells or fewer. […] As the CD4 count drops, usually the volume of HIV in the blood, known as the viral load, rises. […] Viral, fungal, or bacterial infections, and cancers, which healthy immune systems can fight off, emerge and worsen. These so-called AIDS-defining conditions are often the cause of death for people living with HIV who are not receiving treatment. […] People diagnosed with AIDS who are not on treatment are at high risk of becoming infected by a wide range of viruses and microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and parasites these are called opportunistic infections (OIs) and include pneumonia and tuberculosis.
#33 HIV and AIDS: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and More
https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids
AIDS is a disease that can develop in people who have the HIV virus. Treatment with antiretroviral drugs can typically prevent AIDS from developing in people with HIV. […] HIV is a virus that damages the immune system. Untreated HIV affects and kills CD4 cells, which are a type of immune cell called T cell. […] Without treatment, a person with HIV is likely to develop a serious condition called the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, known as AIDS. […] AIDS is caused by HIV. A person cant get AIDS if they havent contracted HIV. […] Healthy individuals have a CD4 count of 500 to 1,500 per cubic millimeter. Without treatment, HIV continues to multiply and destroy CD4 cells. If a persons CD4 count falls below 200, they have AIDS. […] Also, if someone with HIV develops an opportunistic infection associated with HIV, they can still be diagnosed with AIDS, even if their CD4 count is above 200.
#34 HIV and AIDS: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments
https://www.verywellhealth.com/hiv-aids-5216828
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that causes disease by damaging the immune system. When the damage is severe and the body’s immune defenses are compromised, a person is said to have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is the most advanced stage of HIV infection when the immune system has been compromised, leaving the body vulnerable to a wide range of potentially life-threatening opportunistic infections. […] If left untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS in about eight to 10 years. Some people progress far more quickly. […] HIV is a virus that can lead to AIDS if left untreated. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection where the body’s immune defenses have been compromised. […] HIV is a type of virus that is believed to have made the jump from animals to humans. There are two types of HIV that not only have different genetic origins but different rates of infectivity (the ability to be transmitted) and virulence (the ability to cause disease):
#35 HIV and AIDS – Basic facts | UNAIDS
https://www.unaids.org/en/frequently-asked-questions-about-hiv-and-aids
The length of time can vary widely between individuals. The time between infection with HIV and becoming ill with AIDS can be 10-15 years, sometimes longer, but sometimes shorter. Antiretroviral therapy can prevent progression to AIDS by decreasing viral load in an infected body (see question 26). […] There is no cure for HIV. However, there is effective treatment, which, if started promptly and taken regularly, results in a quality and length of life for someone living with HIV that is similar to that expected in the absence of infection. […] Antiretroviral medicines are used in the treatment of HIV infection. They work against HIV infection by blocking the reproduction of HIV in the body (see question 4). When a person living with HIV is on effective antiretroviral therapy, they are no longer infectious.
#36 HIV/AIDS Information | Mount Sinai – New York
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/hiv-aids
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). When a person becomes infected with HIV, the virus attacks and weakens the immune system. As the immune system weakens, the person is at risk for getting life-threatening infections and cancers. When that happens, the illness is called AIDS. Once a person has the virus, it stays inside the body for life. […] The virus is spread (transmitted) person-to-person through certain body fluids: Blood, Semen and preseminal fluid, Rectal fluids, Vaginal fluids, Breast milk. […] HIV can be spread if these fluids come in contact with mucous membranes (inside of the mouth, penis, vagina, rectum), damaged tissue (tissue that has been cut or scraped), or the blood stream by injection. […] In the United States, HIV is mainly spread through vaginal or anal sex without using a condom with someone who has HIV who is not taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV.
#37 HIV and AIDS: Causes, symptoms, treatment, and more
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/17131
HIV is transmitted when bodily fluids containing the virus are shared between people, including: blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, breast milk. […] HIV can be transmitted through: anal or vaginal intercourse, sharing needles, such as for tattooing or injecting drugs, pregnancy, breastfeeding. […] Transmission typically occurs when people do not use barrier protection during intercourse, such as a condom. […] If a person has undetectable levels of HIV, the virus cannot be sexually transmitted to another person. […] HIV is considered undetectable when the amount of the virus in the body is so low that a blood test cannot identify it. […] HIV destroys the bodys white blood cells and reduces its ability to fight off other infections and diseases. If left untreated, HIV can lead to severe complications and develop into stage 3 HIV, which is life threatening.
#38 HIV/AIDS Information | Mount Sinai – New York
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/hiv-aids
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). When a person becomes infected with HIV, the virus attacks and weakens the immune system. As the immune system weakens, the person is at risk for getting life-threatening infections and cancers. When that happens, the illness is called AIDS. Once a person has the virus, it stays inside the body for life. […] The virus is spread (transmitted) person-to-person through certain body fluids: Blood, Semen and preseminal fluid, Rectal fluids, Vaginal fluids, Breast milk. […] HIV can be spread if these fluids come in contact with mucous membranes (inside of the mouth, penis, vagina, rectum), damaged tissue (tissue that has been cut or scraped), or the blood stream by injection. […] In the United States, HIV is mainly spread through vaginal or anal sex without using a condom with someone who has HIV who is not taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV.
#39 What Is the Main Cause of HIV? Symptoms & Treatment
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/what_is_the_main_cause_of_hiv/article_em.htm
A person may become infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) by having unprotected sex with an HIV-infected person (vaginal, anal, oral sex) and sharing needles or syringes with a person infected with HIV. […] HIV infection is caused by exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus. The virus is transmitted via blood or through sexual intercourse and exposure to bodily fluids (such as semen or vaginal fluids) from a person with HIV. […] HIV infection can occur if a person: Has unprotected sex (without using a condom) with a person who has HIV. […] This is the main way people become infected with HIV. […] A pregnant woman can transmit HIV to her baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. […] HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, which is responsible for fighting infections. If HIV infection is not treated, the body does not fight infections or cancer as well as healthy people and people who have HIV can become sick easily. […] Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the late stage of HIV infection.
#40 HIV/AIDS Information | Mount Sinai – New York
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/hiv-aids
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). When a person becomes infected with HIV, the virus attacks and weakens the immune system. As the immune system weakens, the person is at risk for getting life-threatening infections and cancers. When that happens, the illness is called AIDS. Once a person has the virus, it stays inside the body for life. […] The virus is spread (transmitted) person-to-person through certain body fluids: Blood, Semen and preseminal fluid, Rectal fluids, Vaginal fluids, Breast milk. […] HIV can be spread if these fluids come in contact with mucous membranes (inside of the mouth, penis, vagina, rectum), damaged tissue (tissue that has been cut or scraped), or the blood stream by injection. […] In the United States, HIV is mainly spread through vaginal or anal sex without using a condom with someone who has HIV who is not taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV.
#41 HIV: What It Is, Causes, Diagnosis, Symptoms & Treatment
https://www.healthday.com/a-to-z-health/infectious-disease/hiv-2665322040.html
HIV causes […] The human immunodeficiency virus that causes HIV is believed to have first come from a version of the virus that infected chimpanzees. The CDC says it may have spread to humans as early as the late 1800s. […] HIV.gov explains person-to-person transmission causes new HIV infections, mainly by: […] Vaginal or anal sex […] Sharing injectable drug equipment. […] Less common ways of transmitting HIV include: […] Exposure to a needle […] HIV-contaminated blood transfusions or organ or tissue transplants […] Oral sex or deep kissing, if open cuts, bleeding gums, sores, ulcers or sexually transmitted diseases are present […] Being bitten by someone with HIV, or eating pre-chewed food after them […] Pregnancy, giving birth or breastfeeding, which can cause the baby to get infected.
#42
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease. […] AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when your immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus. […] HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person. This includes semen, vaginal and anal fluids, blood and breast milk. […] The most common way of getting HIV in the UK is through having anal or vaginal sex without a condom. […] Other ways of getting HIV include sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment and transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. […] The chance of getting HIV through oral sex is very low and will be dependent on many things, such as whether you receive or give oral sex and the oral hygiene of the person giving the oral sex.
#43 About HIV | HIV | CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/about/index.html
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). […] Once people get HIV, they have it for life. But proper medical care can control the virus. […] Factors like a person’s viral load, other sexually transmitted infections, and alcohol or drug use can increase the chances of getting or transmitting HIV. […] HIV treatment reduces the amount of HIV in the blood (viral load). HIV treatment can make the viral load so low that a test can’t detect it (undetectable viral load). If you have an undetectable viral load, you will not transmit HIV to others through sex. […] When people with HIV don’t get treatment, they typically progress through three stages. But HIV treatment can slow or prevent progression of the disease. […] People receive an AIDS diagnosis when their CD4 cell count drops below 200 cells per milliliter of blood, or they develop certain illnesses (sometimes called opportunistic infections).
#44 HIV: Cause and Risk Factors
https://www.verywellhealth.com/hiv-aids-causes-49055
The risk of getting HIV is higher for: People who engage in sex without condoms, People with multiple sex partners, Injecting drug users who share needles, Black and Latinx people, Trans people, especially trans women, Men who have sex with men (MSM), Having sex with someone who shares needles or has multiple sex partners, Having another sexually transmitted infection (STI).
#45 HIV: Cause and Risk Factors
https://www.verywellhealth.com/hiv-aids-causes-49055
The risk of getting HIV is higher for: People who engage in sex without condoms, People with multiple sex partners, Injecting drug users who share needles, Black and Latinx people, Trans people, especially trans women, Men who have sex with men (MSM), Having sex with someone who shares needles or has multiple sex partners, Having another sexually transmitted infection (STI).
#46 About HIV | HIV | CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/about/index.html
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). […] Once people get HIV, they have it for life. But proper medical care can control the virus. […] Factors like a person’s viral load, other sexually transmitted infections, and alcohol or drug use can increase the chances of getting or transmitting HIV. […] HIV treatment reduces the amount of HIV in the blood (viral load). HIV treatment can make the viral load so low that a test can’t detect it (undetectable viral load). If you have an undetectable viral load, you will not transmit HIV to others through sex. […] When people with HIV don’t get treatment, they typically progress through three stages. But HIV treatment can slow or prevent progression of the disease. […] People receive an AIDS diagnosis when their CD4 cell count drops below 200 cells per milliliter of blood, or they develop certain illnesses (sometimes called opportunistic infections).
#47 What Is HIV AIDS? Causes, Treatment, History & Risks
https://www.rxlist.com/hiv_transmission_and_the_history_of_hiv_aids/drugs-condition.htm
HIV/AIDS AIDS (also termed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is defined as a syndrome or condition that results when HIV damages the human immune system so severely that the person becomes very susceptible to additional problems including different infections. […] Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an older term for the symptoms and illness caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). […] HIV may cause a brief illness and rash during the very early phase of infection, and it may mimic many common viral infections like the common cold, influenza, or even mononucleosis. More often, early infection causes no symptoms, and the person infected is not aware. As HIV infects more and more immune cells over time, the immune cells start to decline and the person is not able to fight off infections. The lower the immune cells drop, the more and more unusual infections begin to occur. Eventually, the person seeks medical care, and HIV infection is often diagnosed at this point in HIV disease. […] Research has also suggested that long-term infection with HIV causes long-term inflammation that may lead to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and more; these conditions are found to occur at younger ages in those infected with HIV than in those who are not.
#48 HIV | HIV Symptoms | AIDS | MedlinePlus
https://medlineplus.gov/hiv.html
If the infection is not treated, it becomes chronic HIV infection. Often, there are no symptoms during this stage. If it is not treated, eventually the virus will weaken your body’s immune system. Then the infection will progress to AIDS. This is the late stage of HIV infection. Because your immune system is badly damaged, your body cannot fight off other infections, called opportunistic infections (OIs). OIs are infections that happen more frequently or are more severe in people who have weakened immune systems. […] There is no cure for HIV infection, but it can be treated with medicines. This is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART can make HIV infection a manageable chronic condition. It also reduces the risk of spreading the virus to others.
#49 HIV | HIV Symptoms | AIDS | MedlinePlus
https://medlineplus.gov/hiv.html
If the infection is not treated, it becomes chronic HIV infection. Often, there are no symptoms during this stage. If it is not treated, eventually the virus will weaken your body’s immune system. Then the infection will progress to AIDS. This is the late stage of HIV infection. Because your immune system is badly damaged, your body cannot fight off other infections, called opportunistic infections (OIs). OIs are infections that happen more frequently or are more severe in people who have weakened immune systems. […] There is no cure for HIV infection, but it can be treated with medicines. This is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART can make HIV infection a manageable chronic condition. It also reduces the risk of spreading the virus to others.
#50 The Effects of HIV on the Body: Immune System and More
https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/effects-on-body
HIV destroys CD4 cells, which are responsible for keeping people healthy and protecting them from diseases and infections. As HIV gradually weakens the bodys natural defenses, signs and symptoms may occur. […] Once HIV enters the body, it launches a direct attack on the immune system. […] HIV targets the types of cells that would normally fight off an invader such as HIV. As the virus replicates, it damages or destroys the infected CD4 cell and produces more virus to infect more CD4 cells. […] Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the final stage of HIV. At this stage, the immune system is severely weakened, and the risk of contracting opportunistic infections is much greater. […] However, not everyone with HIV will go on to develop AIDS. The earlier a person receives treatment, the better their outcome will be. […] Many of the effects described above are related to the immune system being continually compromised in the progression of HIV and AIDS. […] However, many of these effects are preventable with antiretroviral treatment, which can preserve and repair the immune system.
#51 HIV: Cause and Risk Factors
https://www.verywellhealth.com/hiv-aids-causes-49055
HIV stands for the human immunodeficiency virus. The virus causes disease by targeting and killing immune cells, called CD4 T-cells, that are responsible for coordinating the immune defense. As these cells are progressively destroyed, the body becomes less and less able to defend itself against infections that it could otherwise control. […] „AIDS” is the term used to describe the stage in which the immune system is compromised by HIV infection. Traditionally, AIDS is diagnosed when the CD4 count falls below 200 or when you get any one of the 29 different diseases classified as AIDS-defining conditions. […] Most people get HIV through sex, namely vaginal or anal sex. HIV can also be passed through shared needles or needlestick injuries in healthcare settings. Mothers with HIV can pass the virus to their babies during pregnancy (although this is less common in the United States due to the routine testing and treatment of mothers during perinatal care).
#52 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
Direct cytotoxic effects of viral replication likely are not the primary cause of CD4 T-cell loss; a significant bystander effect likely is secondary to T-cell apoptosis as part of immune hyperactivation in response to the chronic infection. […] Regardless of the cause for the disruption, a loss of thymic replacements in the face of an induced state of immune activation and T-cell loss seems to be a key component of the mechanism by which HIV narrows the T-cell repertoire and progresses to AIDS.
#53 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
HIV disease is caused by infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2, both of which cause very similar conditions. They differ in transmission and progression risks. […] HIV-1 probably originated from one or more cross-species transfers from chimpanzees in central Africa. […] HIV-2 is closely related to viruses that infect sooty mangabeys in western Africa. […] HIV-2 carries a slightly lower risk for transmission, and HIV-2 infection tends to progress more slowly to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] The specific details of the disease process that leads to AIDS are not fully understood despite considerable progress in the virology of HIV and the immunology of the human host, much of which has been driven by the urge to better understand AIDS. […] There is a specific decline in the CD4 helper T cells, resulting in inversion of the normal CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and dysregulation of B-cell antibody production.
#54 NetMedicine Consumer Fact Sheet
http://int-prop.lf2.cuni.cz/heart_sounds/ekg3/howhiv.htm
An important focus of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is research devoted to the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease — the complex mechanisms that result in the destruction of the immune system of an HIV-infected person. […] Most scientists think that HIV causes AIDS by directly killing CD4+ T cells and by triggering other events that weaken a person’s immune function. […] The HIV-mediated destruction of the lymph nodes and related immunologic organs also plays a major role in causing the immunosuppression seen in people with AIDS.
#55 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
HIV disease is caused by infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2, both of which cause very similar conditions. They differ in transmission and progression risks. […] HIV-1 probably originated from one or more cross-species transfers from chimpanzees in central Africa. […] HIV-2 is closely related to viruses that infect sooty mangabeys in western Africa. […] HIV-2 carries a slightly lower risk for transmission, and HIV-2 infection tends to progress more slowly to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] The specific details of the disease process that leads to AIDS are not fully understood despite considerable progress in the virology of HIV and the immunology of the human host, much of which has been driven by the urge to better understand AIDS. […] There is a specific decline in the CD4 helper T cells, resulting in inversion of the normal CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and dysregulation of B-cell antibody production.
#56 What Is HIV? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
https://www.everydayhealth.com/hiv/guide/
HIV is a flimsy virus that can’t live for long outside the human body and can’t reproduce without a human host. […] A person is diagnosed with AIDS when one of two things happens: CD4 cell count drops from normal levels of 500-1,200 cells per cubic millimeter to 200 cells or fewer. […] As the CD4 count drops, usually the volume of HIV in the blood, known as the viral load, rises. […] Viral, fungal, or bacterial infections, and cancers, which healthy immune systems can fight off, emerge and worsen. These so-called AIDS-defining conditions are often the cause of death for people living with HIV who are not receiving treatment. […] People diagnosed with AIDS who are not on treatment are at high risk of becoming infected by a wide range of viruses and microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and parasites these are called opportunistic infections (OIs) and include pneumonia and tuberculosis.
#57 AIDS | Conditions | UCSF Health
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/aids
AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV infection, when the immune system is damaged. Without treatment, about half of those with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years, although the period between infection and development varies widely, from one to 20 years. […] Symptoms of AIDS are caused by the deterioration of the immune system and the decline of CD4+ T cells, which are the immune system’s key infection fighters. As soon as HIV enters the body, it begins to destroy these cells. […] Deterioration of the immune system is caused by the decline in CD4+ T cells, which are key infection fighters. As soon as HIV enters the body, it begins to destroy these cells. […] Because people with AIDS have weakened immune systems, they’re more prone to infections, called opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections are caused by organisms that typically don’t cause disease in healthy people but affect people with damaged immune systems. These organisms attack when there’s an opportunity to infect.
#58 HIV/AIDS: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments | MedPark Hospital
https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/disease-and-treatment/hiv-aids
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is due to long-term, untreated HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) infection for approximately ten years. […] When HIV enters the body, it invades and destroys T-cells of the immune system, weakening the immune system to protect from external pathogens that enter the body, resulting in disease with acute, complex conditions, including severe opportunistic infections that are difficult to eradicate. […] HIV is a virus in the retrovirus family with RNA genetic material. […] AIDS complications are due to a weakened immune system, allowing opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, PJP, or cryptococcal meningitis to materialize. […] Those suffering from AIDS complications or opportunistic diseases require a holistic and systematic treatment approach from a multidisciplinary team of experienced specialists to treat the acute, complex conditions, alleviate symptoms, and help the infected person live a long life.
#59 The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic | KFF
https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-global-hiv-aids-epidemic/
AIDS is now most common in people who have received treatment (antiretroviral therapy) but have stopped. […] Many people living with HIV or at risk for HIV infection do not have access to prevention, treatment, and care, and there is still no cure. […] HIV primarily affects those in their most productive years, and it not only affects the health of individuals, but also impacts households, communities, and the development and economic growth of nations. […] HIV has led to a resurgence of tuberculosis (TB), particularly in Africa, and TB is a leading cause of death for people with HIV worldwide. […] HIV treatment includes the use of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) to attack the virus itself, and medications to prevent and treat the many opportunistic infections that can occur when the immune system is compromised by HIV.
#60 HIV Infection and Cancer Risk – NCI
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hiv-fact-sheet
Yes. People living with HIV have a higher risk of some types of cancer compared with the general population. These are called HIV-associated cancers. The risk of some HIV-associated cancers is strongly associated with HIV-related immunosuppression. In particular, Kaposi sarcoma and certain aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas are much more likely to develop in people whose immune systems are severely damaged by HIV than in those whose immune function is only slightly reduced. […] Most of the cancers with increased incidence in people living with HIV are caused by viruses. That is because infection with HIV weakens the immune system, reducing the body’s ability to fight viral infections or viral-infected cancer precursor cells that may lead to cancer. The viruses that are most likely to cause cancer in people living with HIV are Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Human papillomaviruses (HPV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
#61 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection – Infections – Merck Manual Consumer Version
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection
Most untreated people eventually become ill and develop AIDS, defined by the presence of serious infections and cancers. […] AIDS (or end-stage HIV infection) is the most severe form of HIV infection. HIV infection is considered to be end-stage when at least one serious complicating illness develops or the number (count) of CD4+ lymphocytes decreases substantially. […] Usually, death is caused by the cumulative effects of opportunistic infections or cancers, wasting, and/or dementia.
#62 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection – Infections – Merck Manual Consumer Version
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection
Most untreated people eventually become ill and develop AIDS, defined by the presence of serious infections and cancers. […] AIDS (or end-stage HIV infection) is the most severe form of HIV infection. HIV infection is considered to be end-stage when at least one serious complicating illness develops or the number (count) of CD4+ lymphocytes decreases substantially. […] Usually, death is caused by the cumulative effects of opportunistic infections or cancers, wasting, and/or dementia.
#63
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurs at the most advanced stage of infection. […] HIV targets the body’s white blood cells, weakening the immune system. This makes it easier to get sick with diseases like tuberculosis, infections and some cancers. […] HIV can be prevented and treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Untreated HIV can progress to AIDS, often after many years. […] HIV causes other infections to get worse, such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and mpox. […] There is no cure for HIV infection. It is treated with antiretroviral drugs, which stop the virus from replicating in the body. […] Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) does not cure HIV infection but allows a person’s immune system to get stronger. This helps them to fight other infections. […] Advanced HIV disease remains a persistent problem in the HIV response.
#64 HIV Infection and Cancer Risk – NCI
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hiv-fact-sheet
Yes. People living with HIV have a higher risk of some types of cancer compared with the general population. These are called HIV-associated cancers. The risk of some HIV-associated cancers is strongly associated with HIV-related immunosuppression. In particular, Kaposi sarcoma and certain aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas are much more likely to develop in people whose immune systems are severely damaged by HIV than in those whose immune function is only slightly reduced. […] Most of the cancers with increased incidence in people living with HIV are caused by viruses. That is because infection with HIV weakens the immune system, reducing the body’s ability to fight viral infections or viral-infected cancer precursor cells that may lead to cancer. The viruses that are most likely to cause cancer in people living with HIV are Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Human papillomaviruses (HPV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
#65 HIV Infection and Cancer Risk – NCI
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hiv-fact-sheet
Yes. People living with HIV have a higher risk of some types of cancer compared with the general population. These are called HIV-associated cancers. The risk of some HIV-associated cancers is strongly associated with HIV-related immunosuppression. In particular, Kaposi sarcoma and certain aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas are much more likely to develop in people whose immune systems are severely damaged by HIV than in those whose immune function is only slightly reduced. […] Most of the cancers with increased incidence in people living with HIV are caused by viruses. That is because infection with HIV weakens the immune system, reducing the body’s ability to fight viral infections or viral-infected cancer precursor cells that may lead to cancer. The viruses that are most likely to cause cancer in people living with HIV are Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Human papillomaviruses (HPV), Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
#66 Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: correlation but not causation – PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2644642/
AIDS is an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome defined by a severe depletion of T cells and over 20 conventional degenerative and neoplastic diseases. […] Since AIDS also correlates with antibody to a retrovirus, confirmed in about 40% of American cases, it has been hypothesized that this virus causes AIDS by killing T cells. […] The hypothesis that HIV causes AIDS is examined in terms of Koch’s postulates and epidemiological, biochemical, genetic, and evolutionary conditions of viral pathology. […] HIV does not fulfill Koch’s postulates: (i) free virus is not detectable in most cases of AIDS; (ii) virus can only be isolated by reactivating virus in vitro from a few latently infected lymphocytes among millions of uninfected ones; (iii) pure HIV does not cause AIDS upon experimental infection of chimpanzees or accidental infection of healthy humans.
#67 Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: correlation but not causation – PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2644642/
AIDS is an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome defined by a severe depletion of T cells and over 20 conventional degenerative and neoplastic diseases. […] Since AIDS also correlates with antibody to a retrovirus, confirmed in about 40% of American cases, it has been hypothesized that this virus causes AIDS by killing T cells. […] The hypothesis that HIV causes AIDS is examined in terms of Koch’s postulates and epidemiological, biochemical, genetic, and evolutionary conditions of viral pathology. […] HIV does not fulfill Koch’s postulates: (i) free virus is not detectable in most cases of AIDS; (ii) virus can only be isolated by reactivating virus in vitro from a few latently infected lymphocytes among millions of uninfected ones; (iii) pure HIV does not cause AIDS upon experimental infection of chimpanzees or accidental infection of healthy humans.
#68 Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: correlation but not causation – PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2644642/
It is concluded that HIV is not sufficient for AIDS and that it may not even be necessary for AIDS because its activity is just as low in symptomatic carriers as in asymptomatic carriers. […] The correlation between antibody to HIV and AIDS does not prove causation, because otherwise indistinguishable diseases are now set apart only on the basis of this antibody. […] I propose that AIDS is not a contagious syndrome caused by one conventional virus or microbe. […] Since AIDS is defined by new combinations of conventional diseases, it may be caused by new combinations of conventional pathogens, including acute viral or microbial infections and chronic drug use and malnutrition. […] The long and unpredictable intervals between infection with HIV and AIDS would then reflect the thresholds for these pathogenic factors to cause AIDS diseases, instead of an unlikely mechanism of HIV pathogenesis.
#69 Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: correlation but not causation – PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2644642/
It is concluded that HIV is not sufficient for AIDS and that it may not even be necessary for AIDS because its activity is just as low in symptomatic carriers as in asymptomatic carriers. […] The correlation between antibody to HIV and AIDS does not prove causation, because otherwise indistinguishable diseases are now set apart only on the basis of this antibody. […] I propose that AIDS is not a contagious syndrome caused by one conventional virus or microbe. […] Since AIDS is defined by new combinations of conventional diseases, it may be caused by new combinations of conventional pathogens, including acute viral or microbial infections and chronic drug use and malnutrition. […] The long and unpredictable intervals between infection with HIV and AIDS would then reflect the thresholds for these pathogenic factors to cause AIDS diseases, instead of an unlikely mechanism of HIV pathogenesis.
#70 WHAT REALLY CAUSES AIDS? | The BMJ
https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/30/what-really-causes-aids
My extensive review of the medical literature has not led me to a single individual with AIDS that was caused by HIV, nor a single person with AIDS who was cured by the treatment with the antiviral agents (AZT and protease inhibitors). On the contrary, epidemiology and pathology of AIDS worldwide show that agents and factors other than HIV are responsible for causing the AIDS epidemic. […] AIDS in drug users and homosexuals in the USA and in Europe results from heavy ancillary use of glucocorticoids and other immunosuppressive agents. […] AIDS in hemophiliacs relates to the use of corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents to prevent the development of antibodies for factors VIII and IX, and used to treat other chronic illnesses such as joint disease. […] AIDS in infants and children is caused by their exposure to drugs and corticosteroids in utero, and to corticosteroids used after birth to treat their chronic illnesses.
#71 WHAT REALLY CAUSES AIDS? | The BMJ
https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/30/what-really-causes-aids
My extensive review of the medical literature has not led me to a single individual with AIDS that was caused by HIV, nor a single person with AIDS who was cured by the treatment with the antiviral agents (AZT and protease inhibitors). On the contrary, epidemiology and pathology of AIDS worldwide show that agents and factors other than HIV are responsible for causing the AIDS epidemic. […] AIDS in drug users and homosexuals in the USA and in Europe results from heavy ancillary use of glucocorticoids and other immunosuppressive agents. […] AIDS in hemophiliacs relates to the use of corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents to prevent the development of antibodies for factors VIII and IX, and used to treat other chronic illnesses such as joint disease. […] AIDS in infants and children is caused by their exposure to drugs and corticosteroids in utero, and to corticosteroids used after birth to treat their chronic illnesses.
#72 WHAT REALLY CAUSES AIDS? | The BMJ
https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/30/what-really-causes-aids
My extensive review of the medical literature has not led me to a single individual with AIDS that was caused by HIV, nor a single person with AIDS who was cured by the treatment with the antiviral agents (AZT and protease inhibitors). On the contrary, epidemiology and pathology of AIDS worldwide show that agents and factors other than HIV are responsible for causing the AIDS epidemic. […] AIDS in drug users and homosexuals in the USA and in Europe results from heavy ancillary use of glucocorticoids and other immunosuppressive agents. […] AIDS in hemophiliacs relates to the use of corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents to prevent the development of antibodies for factors VIII and IX, and used to treat other chronic illnesses such as joint disease. […] AIDS in infants and children is caused by their exposure to drugs and corticosteroids in utero, and to corticosteroids used after birth to treat their chronic illnesses.
#73 WHAT REALLY CAUSES AIDS? | The BMJ
https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/30/what-really-causes-aids
My extensive review of the medical literature has not led me to a single individual with AIDS that was caused by HIV, nor a single person with AIDS who was cured by the treatment with the antiviral agents (AZT and protease inhibitors). On the contrary, epidemiology and pathology of AIDS worldwide show that agents and factors other than HIV are responsible for causing the AIDS epidemic. […] AIDS in drug users and homosexuals in the USA and in Europe results from heavy ancillary use of glucocorticoids and other immunosuppressive agents. […] AIDS in hemophiliacs relates to the use of corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive agents to prevent the development of antibodies for factors VIII and IX, and used to treat other chronic illnesses such as joint disease. […] AIDS in infants and children is caused by their exposure to drugs and corticosteroids in utero, and to corticosteroids used after birth to treat their chronic illnesses.
#74 WHAT REALLY CAUSES AIDS? | The BMJ
https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/30/what-really-causes-aids
AIDS in Africa results from malnutrition, the consequent release of endogenous cortisol, and opportunistic diseases. […] The medications currently used to treat patients with AIDS, such as AZT, protease inhibitors, and glucocorticoids are highly toxic. They can cause AIDS in asymptomatic patients; they worsen the condition of AIDS patients and even lead to their death. […] The high prevalence of adrenal insufficiency observed among AIDS patients provides strong evidence that AIDS in these patients is caused by the use of corticosteroids. […] In Africa, AIDS is caused by severe starvation. […] Any person who suffers from severe starvation has AIDS regardless if the person is HIV-positive or HIV-negative. […] The HIV-hypothesis has misled physicians from all over the world to prescribe toxic medications to healthy HIV-positive people and people with AIDS. This has resulted in death of millions of people for the last twenty years.
#75 What is HIV/AIDS? | doh
https://dchealth.dc.gov/page/what-hivaids
The conclusion after more than 28 years of scientific research is that people, if exposed to HIV through sexual contact or injecting drug use for example, may become infected with HIV. If they become infected, most will eventually develop AIDS. […] Although the scientific evidence is overwhelming and compelling that HIV is the cause of AIDS, the disease process is still not completely understood. […] Before the discovery of HIV, evidence from epidemiologic studies involving tracing of patients sex partners and cases occurring in persons receiving transfusions of blood or blood clotting products had clearly indicated that the underlying cause of the condition was an infectious agent. […] Infection with HIV has been the sole common factor shared by AIDS cases throughout the world among men who have sex with men, transfusion recipients, persons with hemophilia, sex partners of infected persons, children born to infected women, and occupationally exposed health care workers. […] For more information, visit the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Fact sheet „The Evidence That HIV Causes AIDS”.
#76 What is HIV/AIDS? | doh
https://dchealth.dc.gov/page/what-hivaids
The conclusion after more than 28 years of scientific research is that people, if exposed to HIV through sexual contact or injecting drug use for example, may become infected with HIV. If they become infected, most will eventually develop AIDS. […] Although the scientific evidence is overwhelming and compelling that HIV is the cause of AIDS, the disease process is still not completely understood. […] Before the discovery of HIV, evidence from epidemiologic studies involving tracing of patients sex partners and cases occurring in persons receiving transfusions of blood or blood clotting products had clearly indicated that the underlying cause of the condition was an infectious agent. […] Infection with HIV has been the sole common factor shared by AIDS cases throughout the world among men who have sex with men, transfusion recipients, persons with hemophilia, sex partners of infected persons, children born to infected women, and occupationally exposed health care workers. […] For more information, visit the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Fact sheet „The Evidence That HIV Causes AIDS”.
#77 What is HIV/AIDS? | doh
https://dchealth.dc.gov/page/what-hivaids
The conclusion after more than 28 years of scientific research is that people, if exposed to HIV through sexual contact or injecting drug use for example, may become infected with HIV. If they become infected, most will eventually develop AIDS. […] Although the scientific evidence is overwhelming and compelling that HIV is the cause of AIDS, the disease process is still not completely understood. […] Before the discovery of HIV, evidence from epidemiologic studies involving tracing of patients sex partners and cases occurring in persons receiving transfusions of blood or blood clotting products had clearly indicated that the underlying cause of the condition was an infectious agent. […] Infection with HIV has been the sole common factor shared by AIDS cases throughout the world among men who have sex with men, transfusion recipients, persons with hemophilia, sex partners of infected persons, children born to infected women, and occupationally exposed health care workers. […] For more information, visit the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Fact sheet „The Evidence That HIV Causes AIDS”.
#78 HIV Infection and Cancer Risk – NCI
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/hiv-fact-sheet
The introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) starting in the mid-1990s greatly reduced the incidence of certain cancers, especially Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in people living with HIV. However, people living with HIV continue to have a much higher risk of these cancers than the general population.
#79 1. Part I: Etiology and Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS | ATrain Education
https://www.atrainceu.com/content/1-part-i-etiology-and-epidemiology-hivaids-0
#80 HIV / AIDS – Our World in Data
https://ourworldindata.org/hiv-aids
HIV/AIDS is one of the world’s most fatal infectious diseases particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease has had a massive impact on health outcomes and life expectancy in recent decades. […] According to the Global Burden of Disease study, nearly a million people die yearly from HIV/AIDS. […] In some countries, HIV/AIDS is the cause of a quarter of all deaths. […] The significant health burden of HIV/AIDS across Sub-Saharan Africa is also reflected in death rates. […] The most at-risk group is younger adults (15 to 49-year-olds). […] Given that most AIDS cases in children are due to the virus transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, stopping mother-to-child transmission is critical to preventing children from getting infected with HIV. […] The majority of HIV infections are transmitted through sexual activity.
#81 HIV / AIDS – Our World in Data
https://ourworldindata.org/hiv-aids
HIV/AIDS is one of the world’s most fatal infectious diseases particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease has had a massive impact on health outcomes and life expectancy in recent decades. […] According to the Global Burden of Disease study, nearly a million people die yearly from HIV/AIDS. […] In some countries, HIV/AIDS is the cause of a quarter of all deaths. […] The significant health burden of HIV/AIDS across Sub-Saharan Africa is also reflected in death rates. […] The most at-risk group is younger adults (15 to 49-year-olds). […] Given that most AIDS cases in children are due to the virus transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, stopping mother-to-child transmission is critical to preventing children from getting infected with HIV. […] The majority of HIV infections are transmitted through sexual activity.
#82 The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic | KFF
https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-global-hiv-aids-epidemic/
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), is one of the worlds most serious health and development challenges. Approximately 40 million people are currently living with HIV, and tens of millions of people have died of AIDS-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic. […] HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has become one of the worlds most serious health and development challenges since the first cases were reported in 1981. Approximately 88 million people have become infected with HIV since the start of the epidemic. Today, there are approximately 40 million people currently living with HIV, and tens of millions of people have died of AIDS-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic. […] HIV can lead to the development of AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, also known as Advanced HIV Disease.
#83 The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic | KFF
https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-global-hiv-aids-epidemic/
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), is one of the worlds most serious health and development challenges. Approximately 40 million people are currently living with HIV, and tens of millions of people have died of AIDS-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic. […] HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has become one of the worlds most serious health and development challenges since the first cases were reported in 1981. Approximately 88 million people have become infected with HIV since the start of the epidemic. Today, there are approximately 40 million people currently living with HIV, and tens of millions of people have died of AIDS-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic. […] HIV can lead to the development of AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, also known as Advanced HIV Disease.
#84 HIV / AIDS – Our World in Data
https://ourworldindata.org/hiv-aids
HIV/AIDS is one of the world’s most fatal infectious diseases particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease has had a massive impact on health outcomes and life expectancy in recent decades. […] According to the Global Burden of Disease study, nearly a million people die yearly from HIV/AIDS. […] In some countries, HIV/AIDS is the cause of a quarter of all deaths. […] The significant health burden of HIV/AIDS across Sub-Saharan Africa is also reflected in death rates. […] The most at-risk group is younger adults (15 to 49-year-olds). […] Given that most AIDS cases in children are due to the virus transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, stopping mother-to-child transmission is critical to preventing children from getting infected with HIV. […] The majority of HIV infections are transmitted through sexual activity.
#85 The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic | KFF
https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-global-hiv-aids-epidemic/
AIDS is now most common in people who have received treatment (antiretroviral therapy) but have stopped. […] Many people living with HIV or at risk for HIV infection do not have access to prevention, treatment, and care, and there is still no cure. […] HIV primarily affects those in their most productive years, and it not only affects the health of individuals, but also impacts households, communities, and the development and economic growth of nations. […] HIV has led to a resurgence of tuberculosis (TB), particularly in Africa, and TB is a leading cause of death for people with HIV worldwide. […] HIV treatment includes the use of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) to attack the virus itself, and medications to prevent and treat the many opportunistic infections that can occur when the immune system is compromised by HIV.
#86 The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic | KFF
https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-global-hiv-aids-epidemic/
AIDS is now most common in people who have received treatment (antiretroviral therapy) but have stopped. […] Many people living with HIV or at risk for HIV infection do not have access to prevention, treatment, and care, and there is still no cure. […] HIV primarily affects those in their most productive years, and it not only affects the health of individuals, but also impacts households, communities, and the development and economic growth of nations. […] HIV has led to a resurgence of tuberculosis (TB), particularly in Africa, and TB is a leading cause of death for people with HIV worldwide. […] HIV treatment includes the use of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) to attack the virus itself, and medications to prevent and treat the many opportunistic infections that can occur when the immune system is compromised by HIV.
#87 The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic | KFF
https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-global-hiv-aids-epidemic/
AIDS is now most common in people who have received treatment (antiretroviral therapy) but have stopped. […] Many people living with HIV or at risk for HIV infection do not have access to prevention, treatment, and care, and there is still no cure. […] HIV primarily affects those in their most productive years, and it not only affects the health of individuals, but also impacts households, communities, and the development and economic growth of nations. […] HIV has led to a resurgence of tuberculosis (TB), particularly in Africa, and TB is a leading cause of death for people with HIV worldwide. […] HIV treatment includes the use of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) to attack the virus itself, and medications to prevent and treat the many opportunistic infections that can occur when the immune system is compromised by HIV.
#88 Nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS-related causes by 2030 without stable PEPFAR programmes, Oxford experts estimate â¯ | University of Oxford
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-04-08-nearly-500000-children-could-die-aids-related-causes-2030-without-stable-pepfar
The authors conducted an original modelled analysis using existing data to predict the risks children in sub-Saharan Africa would face in the absence of PEPFAR programmes, including increased HIV infections, AIDS-related deaths, and orphanhood. The estimates suggest that by 2030, there could be 1 million new cases of paediatric HIV and 460,000 additional AIDS-related deaths in children. […] Prior to the widespread availability of antiretrovirals in Africa, more than 20 million people died from AIDS-related causes in the region, leaving behind millions of orphaned children. PEPFAR’s efforts have significantly contributed to decreasing the number of AIDS orphans from its peak of over 14 million children in 2010 to 10.5 million by 2023.
#89 Nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS-related causes by 2030 without stable PEPFAR programmes, Oxford experts estimate â¯ | University of Oxford
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-04-08-nearly-500000-children-could-die-aids-related-causes-2030-without-stable-pepfar
Experts including Prof Lucie Cluver, Professor of Child and Family Social Work, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, and Dr Seth Flaxman, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science assessed the potential impacts on HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention efforts in sub-Saharan Africa if the US Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is suspended or only receives limited, short-term funding. They estimate that 1 million additional children could become infected with HIV and nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS by 2030, while as many as 2.8 million children could become orphaned in the next five years if PEPFAR programmes are reduced or eliminated. […] The new Health Policy analysis, Protecting Africa’s children from extreme risk: a runway of sustainability for PEPFAR programmes published in The Lancet, estimates that 1 million children could become infected with HIV, nearly half a million could die from AIDS by 2030, and 2.8 million children could be orphaned in the region without consistent, stable funding for US PEPFAR programmes.
#90 Nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS-related causes by 2030 without stable PEPFAR programmes, Oxford experts estimate â¯ | University of Oxford
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-04-08-nearly-500000-children-could-die-aids-related-causes-2030-without-stable-pepfar
Experts including Prof Lucie Cluver, Professor of Child and Family Social Work, Department of Social Policy and Intervention, and Dr Seth Flaxman, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science assessed the potential impacts on HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention efforts in sub-Saharan Africa if the US Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is suspended or only receives limited, short-term funding. They estimate that 1 million additional children could become infected with HIV and nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS by 2030, while as many as 2.8 million children could become orphaned in the next five years if PEPFAR programmes are reduced or eliminated. […] The new Health Policy analysis, Protecting Africa’s children from extreme risk: a runway of sustainability for PEPFAR programmes published in The Lancet, estimates that 1 million children could become infected with HIV, nearly half a million could die from AIDS by 2030, and 2.8 million children could be orphaned in the region without consistent, stable funding for US PEPFAR programmes.
#91 HIV / AIDS – Our World in Data
https://ourworldindata.org/hiv-aids
HIV/AIDS is one of the world’s most fatal infectious diseases particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease has had a massive impact on health outcomes and life expectancy in recent decades. […] According to the Global Burden of Disease study, nearly a million people die yearly from HIV/AIDS. […] In some countries, HIV/AIDS is the cause of a quarter of all deaths. […] The significant health burden of HIV/AIDS across Sub-Saharan Africa is also reflected in death rates. […] The most at-risk group is younger adults (15 to 49-year-olds). […] Given that most AIDS cases in children are due to the virus transmission from mother to child during pregnancy, stopping mother-to-child transmission is critical to preventing children from getting infected with HIV. […] The majority of HIV infections are transmitted through sexual activity.
#92 Nearly 500,000 children could die from AIDS-related causes by 2030 without stable PEPFAR programmes, Oxford experts estimate â¯ | University of Oxford
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-04-08-nearly-500000-children-could-die-aids-related-causes-2030-without-stable-pepfar
The authors conducted an original modelled analysis using existing data to predict the risks children in sub-Saharan Africa would face in the absence of PEPFAR programmes, including increased HIV infections, AIDS-related deaths, and orphanhood. The estimates suggest that by 2030, there could be 1 million new cases of paediatric HIV and 460,000 additional AIDS-related deaths in children. […] Prior to the widespread availability of antiretrovirals in Africa, more than 20 million people died from AIDS-related causes in the region, leaving behind millions of orphaned children. PEPFAR’s efforts have significantly contributed to decreasing the number of AIDS orphans from its peak of over 14 million children in 2010 to 10.5 million by 2023.
#93 What is HIV/AIDS? | doh
https://dchealth.dc.gov/page/what-hivaids
The conclusion after more than 28 years of scientific research is that people, if exposed to HIV through sexual contact or injecting drug use for example, may become infected with HIV. If they become infected, most will eventually develop AIDS. […] Although the scientific evidence is overwhelming and compelling that HIV is the cause of AIDS, the disease process is still not completely understood. […] Before the discovery of HIV, evidence from epidemiologic studies involving tracing of patients sex partners and cases occurring in persons receiving transfusions of blood or blood clotting products had clearly indicated that the underlying cause of the condition was an infectious agent. […] Infection with HIV has been the sole common factor shared by AIDS cases throughout the world among men who have sex with men, transfusion recipients, persons with hemophilia, sex partners of infected persons, children born to infected women, and occupationally exposed health care workers. […] For more information, visit the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Fact sheet „The Evidence That HIV Causes AIDS”.
#94 AIDS | Definition, Diagnosis, Treatment, & Facts | Britannica
https://www.britannica.com/science/AIDS
AIDS, transmissible disease of the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is a lentivirus (literally meaning slow virus; a member of the retrovirus family) that slowly attacks and destroys the immune system, the body’s defense against infection, leaving an individual vulnerable to a variety of other infections and certain malignancies that eventually cause death. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection, during which time fatal infections and cancers frequently arise. […] By 1984 researchers working in Africa had provided clear evidence for heterosexual transmission of the causative agent, HIV. The virus had been isolated the year before by a team of French researchers led by virologist Luc Montagnier. Montagnier and his colleagues identified the virus as a new type of human retrovirus, and they suspected that it was the cause of AIDS.
#95 HIV/AIDS – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiv-aids/symptoms-causes/syc-20373524
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is an ongoing, also called chronic, condition. It’s caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, also called HIV. […] HIV is caused by a virus. It can spread through sexual contact, shooting of illicit drugs or use of shared needles, and contact with infected blood. It also can spread from parent to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding. […] HIV destroys white blood cells called CD4 T cells. These cells play a large role in helping the body fight disease. The fewer CD4 T cells you have, the weaker your immune system becomes. […] You can have an HIV infection with few or no symptoms for years before it turns into AIDS. AIDS is diagnosed when the CD4 T cell count falls below 200 or you have a complication you get only if you have AIDS, such as a serious infection or cancer.
#96 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
HIV disease is caused by infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2, both of which cause very similar conditions. They differ in transmission and progression risks. […] HIV-1 probably originated from one or more cross-species transfers from chimpanzees in central Africa. […] HIV-2 is closely related to viruses that infect sooty mangabeys in western Africa. […] HIV-2 carries a slightly lower risk for transmission, and HIV-2 infection tends to progress more slowly to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] The specific details of the disease process that leads to AIDS are not fully understood despite considerable progress in the virology of HIV and the immunology of the human host, much of which has been driven by the urge to better understand AIDS. […] There is a specific decline in the CD4 helper T cells, resulting in inversion of the normal CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and dysregulation of B-cell antibody production.
#97 AIDS | United Nations
https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/aids
In June 1981, scientists in the United States reported the first clinical evidence of a disease that would later become known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Its cause, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), was identified in 1983. […] HIV is found in the bodily fluids of a person who is living with HIVblood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk. […] It can spread from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding if the mother is living with HIV. […] The world has halted and reversed the spread of HIV. The epidemic has been forced into decline. Now the response is going one step furtherending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. […] Ending AIDS by 2030 is an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were unanimously adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015.
#98 Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection – Infections – Merck Manual Consumer Version
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a viral infection that progressively destroys certain white blood cells and is treated with antiretroviral medications. If untreated, it can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is sometimes referred to as end-stage HIV infection. […] HIV infections may be caused by 1 of 2 retroviruses, HIV-1 or HIV-2. HIV-1 causes most HIV infections worldwide, but HIV-2 causes many HIV infections in West Africa. HIV-2 appears to be less severe than HIV-1. […] HIV progressively destroys certain types of white blood cells called CD4+ lymphocytes. Lymphocytes help defend the body against foreign cells, infectious organisms, and cancer. Thus, when HIV destroys CD4+ lymphocytes, people become susceptible to attack by many other infectious organisms. Many of the complications of HIV infection, including death, usually result from these other infections and not from HIV infection directly.
#99
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurs at the most advanced stage of infection. […] HIV targets the body’s white blood cells, weakening the immune system. This makes it easier to get sick with diseases like tuberculosis, infections and some cancers. […] HIV can be prevented and treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Untreated HIV can progress to AIDS, often after many years. […] HIV causes other infections to get worse, such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and mpox. […] There is no cure for HIV infection. It is treated with antiretroviral drugs, which stop the virus from replicating in the body. […] Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) does not cure HIV infection but allows a person’s immune system to get stronger. This helps them to fight other infections. […] Advanced HIV disease remains a persistent problem in the HIV response.
#100 What Are HIV and AIDS?
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/what-are-hiv-and-aids
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. […] If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). […] The human body cant get rid of HIV and no effective HIV cure exists. […] AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection that occurs when the bodys immune system is badly damaged because of the virus. […] In the U.S., most people with HIV do not develop AIDS because taking HIV medicine as prescribed stops the progression of the disease. […] Without HIV medicine, people with AIDS typically survive about 3 years.
#101 HIV and AIDS – Basic facts | UNAIDS
https://www.unaids.org/en/frequently-asked-questions-about-hiv-and-aids
The length of time can vary widely between individuals. The time between infection with HIV and becoming ill with AIDS can be 10-15 years, sometimes longer, but sometimes shorter. Antiretroviral therapy can prevent progression to AIDS by decreasing viral load in an infected body (see question 26). […] There is no cure for HIV. However, there is effective treatment, which, if started promptly and taken regularly, results in a quality and length of life for someone living with HIV that is similar to that expected in the absence of infection. […] Antiretroviral medicines are used in the treatment of HIV infection. They work against HIV infection by blocking the reproduction of HIV in the body (see question 4). When a person living with HIV is on effective antiretroviral therapy, they are no longer infectious.
#102 What Are HIV and AIDS?
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/what-are-hiv-and-aids
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. […] If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). […] The human body cant get rid of HIV and no effective HIV cure exists. […] AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection that occurs when the bodys immune system is badly damaged because of the virus. […] In the U.S., most people with HIV do not develop AIDS because taking HIV medicine as prescribed stops the progression of the disease. […] Without HIV medicine, people with AIDS typically survive about 3 years.
#103
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/
Antiretroviral medicines are used to treat HIV. They work by stopping the virus replicating in the body, allowing the immune system to repair itself and preventing further damage. […] The goal of HIV treatment is to have an undetectable viral load. This means the level of HIV virus in your body is low enough to not be detected by a test. […] Without treatment, the immune system will become severely damaged, and life-threatening illnesses such as cancer and severe infections can occur. […] Anyone who has sex without a condom or shares needles is at risk of HIV infection. […] There are many effective ways to prevent or reduce the risk of HIV infection, including using a condom for sex, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), treatment for HIV to reduce the viral load to undetectable, and if you use drugs, never sharing needles or other injecting equipment, including syringes, spoons and swabs.
#104 HIV/AIDS in pregnant women and infants: MedlinePlus Medical EncyclopediaLock
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007689.htm
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS. When a person becomes infected with HIV, the virus attacks and weakens the immune system. As the immune system weakens, the person is at risk of getting life-threatening infections and cancers. When that happens, the illness is called AIDS. […] Most children with HIV get the virus when it passes from an HIV-positive mother to their child. This can occur during pregnancy, childbirth, or when breastfeeding. […] Only blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk have been shown to transmit infection to others. […] The risk of a mother transmitting HIV during pregnancy or during labor is low for mothers identified and treated with ART early in pregnancy. When treated, the chance of her baby being infected is less than 1%. […] If a woman’s HIV status is not found until the time of labor, ART can reduce the rate of infection in infants to about 10%.
#105 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
HIV disease is caused by infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2, both of which cause very similar conditions. They differ in transmission and progression risks. […] HIV-1 probably originated from one or more cross-species transfers from chimpanzees in central Africa. […] HIV-2 is closely related to viruses that infect sooty mangabeys in western Africa. […] HIV-2 carries a slightly lower risk for transmission, and HIV-2 infection tends to progress more slowly to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] The specific details of the disease process that leads to AIDS are not fully understood despite considerable progress in the virology of HIV and the immunology of the human host, much of which has been driven by the urge to better understand AIDS. […] There is a specific decline in the CD4 helper T cells, resulting in inversion of the normal CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and dysregulation of B-cell antibody production.
#106 What is HIV/AIDS? | doh
https://dchealth.dc.gov/page/what-hivaids
The conclusion after more than 28 years of scientific research is that people, if exposed to HIV through sexual contact or injecting drug use for example, may become infected with HIV. If they become infected, most will eventually develop AIDS. […] Although the scientific evidence is overwhelming and compelling that HIV is the cause of AIDS, the disease process is still not completely understood. […] Before the discovery of HIV, evidence from epidemiologic studies involving tracing of patients sex partners and cases occurring in persons receiving transfusions of blood or blood clotting products had clearly indicated that the underlying cause of the condition was an infectious agent. […] Infection with HIV has been the sole common factor shared by AIDS cases throughout the world among men who have sex with men, transfusion recipients, persons with hemophilia, sex partners of infected persons, children born to infected women, and occupationally exposed health care workers. […] For more information, visit the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Fact sheet „The Evidence That HIV Causes AIDS”.
#107 HIV Infection and AIDS: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/211316-overview
HIV disease is caused by infection with HIV-1 or HIV-2, both of which cause very similar conditions. They differ in transmission and progression risks. […] HIV-1 probably originated from one or more cross-species transfers from chimpanzees in central Africa. […] HIV-2 is closely related to viruses that infect sooty mangabeys in western Africa. […] HIV-2 carries a slightly lower risk for transmission, and HIV-2 infection tends to progress more slowly to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). […] The specific details of the disease process that leads to AIDS are not fully understood despite considerable progress in the virology of HIV and the immunology of the human host, much of which has been driven by the urge to better understand AIDS. […] There is a specific decline in the CD4 helper T cells, resulting in inversion of the normal CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio and dysregulation of B-cell antibody production.
#108 HIV (AIDS) | BCM
https://www.bcm.edu/departments/molecular-virology-and-microbiology/emerging-infections-and-biodefense/specific-agents/hiv-aids
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) causes the disease known as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). […] HIV was first recognized in 1983 as the agent that causes AIDS, a disease initially found primarily in small clusters of homosexual men. […] The leading cause of death in people living with HIV/AIDS is tuberculosis. […] A normal person has about 1000 CD4+ T cells in a milliliter of blood. Once CD4+ T cell numbers fall to 200 cells per milliliter, the patient enters the phase of HIV infection that is known as AIDS, and it becomes increasingly difficult for these AIDS patients to fight off infections. […] There is still no cure for AIDS. […] The ultimate goal is to develop a vaccine that will prevent the transmission of HIV, or at least the progression to AIDS in individuals already infected. […] Although considerable effort has been made, a vaccine to protect against HIV infection is not yet available.
#109 Azthena logo with the word Azthena
https://www.news-medical.net/health/AIDS-Pathophysiology.aspx
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the HIV or human immunodeficiency virus. […] HIV infection passes through a series of steps or stages before it turns into AIDS. […] AIDS indicates advanced HIV disease and has no cure and is considered fatal. […] The pathological spectrum of HIV infection is changing as the infection spreads into new communities with different potential opportunistic diseases, and as medical science devises drugs against HIV replication. […] Genetics and geographical location has a role in the pattern of opportunistic infections. […] For example, African HIV-infected patients reside in the UK have high rates of tuberculosis and this is usually a reactivation of latent infection acquired in the country of origin. […] Geographical and ethnic patterns of HIV-associated opportunistic diseases are also significant. […] Diseases that vary greatly in prevalence according to socio-economic circumstances, medical facilities and route of HIV infection.
#110 Azthena logo with the word Azthena
https://www.news-medical.net/health/AIDS-Pathophysiology.aspx
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the HIV or human immunodeficiency virus. […] HIV infection passes through a series of steps or stages before it turns into AIDS. […] AIDS indicates advanced HIV disease and has no cure and is considered fatal. […] The pathological spectrum of HIV infection is changing as the infection spreads into new communities with different potential opportunistic diseases, and as medical science devises drugs against HIV replication. […] Genetics and geographical location has a role in the pattern of opportunistic infections. […] For example, African HIV-infected patients reside in the UK have high rates of tuberculosis and this is usually a reactivation of latent infection acquired in the country of origin. […] Geographical and ethnic patterns of HIV-associated opportunistic diseases are also significant. […] Diseases that vary greatly in prevalence according to socio-economic circumstances, medical facilities and route of HIV infection.