What is HIV  and AIDS?
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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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Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) is a retrovirus that is found, in numerous strains, in primates; the strains infecting humans are HIV-1 and HIV-2, the viruses that cause AIDS\n\nHuman immunodeficiency virus (commonly known as HIV, and formerly known as HTLV-III and lymphadenopathy-associated virus) is a retrovirus that is the cause of the disease known as AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, a syndrome where the immune system begins to fail, leading to many life-threatening opportunistic infections.
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AIDS is a combination of so many symptoms caused by HIV virus.so AIDS does nt mutate but HIV virus mutates.tho it does mutates,it can change only a part of its properties that too which make them stonger to survive.If they mutated so that they could survive in air,they would have created a major disaster for us.usually they die on explosure to air.
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Human Immunodeficiency Virus
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Acquired Human Auto-Immune Deficiency Syndrome.\n\nBasically, it's a virus that hides from your body's immune system, and then kills your cells and turns them into "AIDS Factories."
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Here's a source at the Center for Disease Control that should put you well on your way:\n\nhttp://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/disease_info.htm\n\nQuick summary:  STDs are Sexually Transmitted Diseases. HIV is the virus that cause AIDS, the disease, which is sexually transmitted (among other ways.)
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United States: The CDC estimates that in 1999 between 800,000 and 900,000 people were living with HIV or AIDS. Through December 2000, a total of 774,467 cases of AIDS had been reported to the CDC.\n\nWorldwide: Based on estimates from the United Nations AIDS program (UNAIDS), approximately 60 million people have been infected with HIV since the start of the global epidemic. At the end of 2001, an estimated 40 million people were living with HIV infection or AIDS.\n\nUNAIDS estimates 5.0 million new HIV infections occurred in 2001. This represents about 14,000 new cases per day. An estimated 3.0 million adults and children died of HIV/AIDS in 2001.
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HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.  Just like the herpes virus is a virus that causes a cold sore.
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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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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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Aids is a type of diasease.  It is not really contageous...  But, if someone gets a cut, and somebody else "touchs" the blood and get into the body, they are now infected...  Now, that person hads HIV from the person who got a cut.  To get HIV, which is a first base of AIDS..  a HIV has to enter a person through blood, or other ways... By blood is mainly...  **sorry but, Also, having sex with someone who has HIV will also transfer the germs..\n\nHIV will soon develope into what you are wonder about, AIDS\n\nAIDS is a farther stage HIV.  AIDS is consider when a person is going to die from HIV.   \n\nTo determine if a person has HIV, you can possible tell by if that person gets sick easily, and also a lot.  But, this is one way to get started in thinking if you do.  The best to determine is to find a specialist.  \n\n\n\nHere's the main answer\n\n\nIf one person hads AIDS or HIV, it can harm others by donating blood to others that they don't even know they have it.  Then, that would be 2 people that has HIV or AIDS.  Soon, if they give birth, that would be 4 and so on.(4th because marrage to give birth)  It is very important that you know everything about yourself before choosing to do something that can harm others.  If everyone wouldn't care, Aids and hiv would be everywhere and no one would be on earth.  This could do a lot of harm.
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Here is the CDC surveillance data. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/2004report/default.htm\n\nBear in mind that AIDS and HIV are SEPARATE conditions. It's a lot of data, so sort through it carefully.
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Hi!!\n\n"HIV is the virus that may causes AIDS. HIV belongs to a subset of viruses called retroviruses or slow virus. \n\n\n \nThis is because it is a progressive disease. HIV is entered through the body through the mucous membranes or thru blood to blood contact. \n\n\nOnce you get the virus it slowly begins to attack the immune system, killing off healthy immune system cells. The deterioration and destruction of immune function leads to AIDS. \n\n\nAIDS is the final stage of the HIV infection. A person is said to have AIDS when the cd4 counts drops below 200 and or a person has 1 or more opportunistic infections. The OIs, as they are called, are normal infections that a healthy person would be able to fight off. \n\n\nThe four stages of the HIV infection are as follows: \n\n\n1) The period following infection is called the window. It is called this because it reflect the window of time between infection and that which antibodies are devlop in a person. The HIV test looks for antibodies not the virus. \n\n\n2) The second stage is called seroconversion. This is when the body begins to develop lots of antibodies to fight off the virus in the body. During this period a person may have flu like sympton. Also during this period is said to be very infectious. \n\n\n3) The third stage is called symptom free. During this period a person may have no sympton what so ever. This can last any where from 6 months to well over ten years. The medical world is not sure why some people are living sympton free for so long. \n\n\n4) The final stage is called AIDS. This is the period when TCELL drop to below 200 and the OI"S are present. \n\n\nSo, as we see, HIV is a infection that will leads to AIDS. \n\n\nThe body immune system is slowly being attacked until it is destroyed and can't fight off infections. Once this happens a person is said to have AIDS. AIDS is the final stage."\n\nI hope the above answers your question.\n\n>>> Naveen Kumar
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Having AIDS is hugely problematic.  It is a fatal illness.  Eventually a person with AIDS will die.  It may take 10 years, 15 years, but they will get very sick and it's only a matter of time.\n\nIt's great to have AIDS and still love LIFE, but I think it's a little strange to love having the illness itself.
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The origin remains unknown but first appeared in America in the 1960's. HIV which is the virus that leads to death from AIDS diseases (AIDS itself does not kill, opportunistic diseases take advantage of the reduced immune system) is spread through unprotected sexual intercourse, shared introvenus drug use or other direct blood related sharing. HIV is a very weak virus that cannot live for long outside a human body, it is not air born nor can it be spread through saliva such as kissing.\n\nP.S there is no need to say HIV Virus as the V in HIV stands for Virus
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There are a lot of symptoms that can be associated with HIV and/or AIDS, but the only way to be completely sure is to get tested.
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human immunodeficiency virus