What is seroprevalence?
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Seroprevalence is the number of persons in a population who test positive for a specific disease based on serology (blood serum) specimens; often presented as a percent of the total specimens tested or as a rate per 100,000 persons tested. As positively identifying the occurrence of disease is usually based upon the presence of antibodies for that disease (especially with viral infections such as Herpes Simplex and HIV), this number is not significant if the specificity of the antibody is low.
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Main Entry: AIDS\nPronunciation: 'Adz\nFunction: noun\nEtymology: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome\n: a disease of the human immune system that is characterized cytologically especially by reduction in the numbers of CD4-bearing helper T cells to 20 percent or less of normal rendering the subject highly vulnerable to life-threatening conditions (as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) and to some that become life-threatening (as Kaposi's sarcoma) and that is caused by infection with HIV commonly transmitted in infected blood and bodily secretions (as semen) especially during illicit intravenous drug use and sexual intercourse
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Human immunodeficiency virus, commonly known by the initialism HIV, formerly known as HTLV-III and lymphadenopathy-associated virus, is a retrovirus that primarily infects vital components of the human immune system such as CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. It also directly and indirectly destroys CD4+ T cells. As CD4+ T cells are required for the proper functioning of the immune system, when enough CD4+ T cells have been destroyed by HIV, the immune system functions poorly, leading to the syndrome known as AIDS. HIV also directly attacks organs, such as the kidneys, the heart and the brain leading to acute renal failure, cardiomyopathy, dementia and encephalopathy. Many of the problems faced by people infected with HIV result from failure of the immune system to protect from opportunistic infections and cancers.\n\nHIV is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid or breast milk. This transmission can come in the form of: penetrative (anal or vaginal) sex; oral sex; blood transfusion; contaminated needles; exchange between mother and infant during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding; or other exposure to one of the above bodily fluids.\n\nAIDS is thought to have originated in sub-Saharan Africa during the twentieth century [13] and is now a pandemic. At the end of 2004, UNAIDS estimated that nearly 40 million people were currently living with HIV [14]. The World Health Organization estimated that the AIDS epidemic had claimed more than 3 million people and that 5 million people had acquired HIV in the same year. Currently it is estimated that 28 million people have died and that it is set to infect 90 million people in Africa, resulting in a minimum estimate of 18 million orphans in Africa alone
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It's used in serological testing.  The basic premise of serology the interaction of antibody and antigen.  When doing an experiment, like an ELISA or EIA,  you are looking for antibody/antigen binding.  You use a labeld antibody to visualize the reaction.\n\nOnce example would be if you had antibody attached to the well of a microplate, and you wanted to see if there was antibody in a person serum.  You would add the serum, wait a bit, then wash it off very well, so that the only antibody still left woud be attaced to the antigen.  Then you would add your labeled antibody, choosing one that binds to all human antibodes.  Wait, then wash, then add the last step to turn the label on. You could also start out with antibody in the wells, and be looking for antigen in the serum.  It's a bit tricky to explain, so I linked to some pictures of it.  It's the second to the last step that uses the labeled antibody.  \n\nThere are several different types of labels attached to antibodies.  Some change color, so emit a certain wavelenght of light, at one time, radioactive ones were popular, but those have gone the way of safer tests.
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Life is a sexually transmitted disease. \nR. D. Laing
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A pandemic, or global epidemic, is an outbreak of an infectious disease that affects people over an extensive geographical area (from Greek pan all + demos people).\n\nan epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people) is a disease that appears as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at a rate that substantially exceeds what is "expected," based on recent experience (the number of new cases in the population during a specified period of time is called the "incidence rate")
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Incidence refers to how many people are diagnosed with the disease at a particular time. Incidence just includes new cases. Prevalence refers to the total number of people who have the disease, regardless of when they were diagnosed.
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A virus that steadily weakens the body's defense (immune) system until it can no longer fight off infections such as pneumonia, diarrhea, tumors and other illnesses. All of which can be part of AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome). Unable to fight back, most people die within three years of the first signs of AIDS appearing. Most of all HIV infections have been transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who is already infected with HIV. ...
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The branch of medicine that deals with the study of the causes, distribution, and control of disease in populations.\n\nEpidemiology, field of medicine concerned with the study of epidemics, outbreaks of disease that affect large numbers of people. Epidemiologists, using sophisticated statistical analyses, field investigations, and complex laboratory techniques, investigate the cause of a disease, its distribution (geographic, ecological, and ethnic), method of spread, and measures for control and prevention. Epidemiological investigations once concentrated on such communicable diseases as tuberculosis, influenza, and cholera, but now also encompass cancer, heart disease, and other diseases affecting large numbers of people.
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They get a blood sample. Their computers/scientists can detect traces of HIV in your blood. It's just a virus. They can actually see it taking over.
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http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm
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The test that was performed in the past was RPR, a way of detecting antibodies to syphilis. However, most states have since phased out the test. They are in no way testing to see if you are related to your fiancee, that is much too involved and expensive to run on a routine basis.
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your body is susceptible to infection.
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If you have HIV in it's early stages, it's near impossible to detect without going t the doctor to get a blood teat. BUT if you have AIDS, it may be easier to detect. AIDS is the last stage of the HIV and is marked by repeated viruses and infections due to the weakening of our immune systems. But at the same time, ither diseases and viruses may result in susceptibility to infection of viruses. Blood tests are always the best choice in detection methods. Don't hesitate, it's your life and you make the calls.
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The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). ‘Acquired’ means not inherited. ‘Immune deficiency’ means a breakdown in the body’s immune system. ‘Syndrome’ refers to a range of diseases that may be associated with another disease.\n\nIn this case, diseases that take advantage of the body’s weakened immune system are used to define the onset of AIDS. In Australia, HIV is most commonly spread by sexual intercourse without a condom and through sharing needles, syringes and other injecting equipment.\n\nSymptoms\nSymptoms of HIV are common to a number of other illnesses. If you think you have been put at risk of getting HIV, or if you have any of the signs below (or a combination of them) for a month or longer, you should consult your doctor. Symptoms can include: \n\nFlu-like symptoms \nExtreme and constant tiredness \nFevers, chills and night sweats \nRapid weight loss for no known reason \nSwollen lymph glands in the neck, underarm or groin area \nWhite spots or unusual marks in the mouth \nSkin marks or bumps, either raised or flat, usually painless and purplish \nContinuous coughing or a dry cough \nDiarrhoea \nDecreased appetite.\nHow it is spread \nSomeone who has HIV may not have any symptoms, but they carry the virus and could pass it on through blood or body fluids. HIV can be spread in a number of ways, including: \nUnprotected vaginal or anal sex with someone who has HIV \nSharing injecting equipment and needles with someone who has HIV \nFrom a mother who has HIV to a child during pregnancy, birth or via breastfeeding \nUnprotected oral sex with someone who has HIV (this is less common).\nHIV can’t be spread by social contact\nThere is no evidence to suggest that HIV is spread by ordinary social or family contact such as hugging, shaking hands, sharing household items or through toilets seats, swimming pools or pets. HIV doesn’t live long outside of the body. It can be killed by ordinary household bleach, or soap and warm water.\n\nSafe sex explained\nSafe sex means sex where semen, vaginal secretions or blood are not exchanged between sexual partners. Some safe sexual activities include: \nMutual masturbation \nTouching \nCuddling \nBody-to-body rubbing \nErotic massage. \nCondoms \nUsing condoms properly during intercourse (anal and vaginal) will greatly reduce the risk of spreading HIV. Condoms must be used correctly and with plenty of lubricant. Water-based lubricant should be used, as other types of lubricants will cause condoms to break. Female condoms are also available and should also be used with lubricants. \n\nSafe sex can prevent infection\nHIV can be spread by unprotected anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV. Safe sex is recommended if either partner has HIV or if either partner is unsure of whether they have HIV. Other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) such as herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhoea can also be spread by unprotected sex. If either partner has an STI, or if either partner is unsure of whether they have an STI, safe sex is also recommended. HIV infection is more readily acquired or transmitted if either partner is infected with another STI.\n\nHIV and oral sex\nUnprotected oral sex is low risk for spreading HIV but using a condom or avoiding ejaculation into the mouth is recommended when either partner has ulcers or bleeding gums, or has recently brushed or flossed their teeth. Condom use may also prevent the spread of other STIs such as herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhoea. These STIs may be spread more easily by unprotected oral sex.\n\nHIV and deep kissing\nOnly very small amounts of HIV are found in the saliva of people who have HIV. For you to get HIV, a lot of saliva would need to get into your blood via ulcers or bleeding gums. Deep kissing is a low risk behaviour for spreading HIV.\n\nHIV and blood products\nSince May 1985, all blood donations in Australia have been tested for HIV. This means that blood transfusion
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Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (or acronym AIDS or Aids), is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific "damage to the immune system" caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).\n\nTherefore, it damages the immune system of the affected person thereby making him/her prone to opportunistic infections and tumors.
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Humoral immunity refers to an immune response from antibodies (for example, an antibody is produced by a B cell and recognizes a foreign antigen and triggers an immune reponse).  In contrast, cell mediated immunity occurs when a cell (for example a T cell) directly recognizes a foreign antigen being "presented" by another cell.