STAGES OF AIDS

HISTORY OF AIDS

• AIDS is caused by a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which originated in

non-human primates in Central and West Africa.
• There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is more virulent, easily
transmitted and is the cause of the vast majority of HIV infections globally. 
• The pandemic strain of HIV-1 is closely related to a virus found in chimpanzees of
the subspecies Pan troglodytes troglodytes, which live in the forests of the
Central African nations of Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the 
Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.
• HIV-2 is less transmittable and is largely confined to West Africa.
 WHAT IS AIDS?
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infection that attacks the body’s immune
system, specifically the white blood cells called CD4 cells.
• HIV destroys these CD4 cells, weakening a person’s immunity against opportunistic
infections, such as tuberculosis and fungal infections, severe bacterial infections and some
cancers.
• HIV is spread primarily by unprotected sex (including anal and vaginal sex),
contaminated blood, transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child during 
pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. Some bodily fluids, such as saliva, sweat and tears,
do not transmit the virus .Oral sex has little to no risk of transmitting the virus. 
• Methods of prevention include safe sex, needle exchange programs, 
treating those who are infected, as well as both pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis
. Disease in a baby can often be prevented by giving both the mother and child 
antiretroviral medication.
HIV LIFE CYCLE
• HIV is a virus that affects the immune system and can progress to
AIDS if a person does not receive treatment. Due to medical advances
and understanding the life cycle of HIV, medications are available that
can inhibit viral replication and prevent the development of AIDS.
The 7 stages of HIV’s life cycle
• Binding: The HIV virus fuses to the surface of its target cell, the CD4
lymphocyte. It uses its external glycoproteins to attach to receptors on the
cell surface.
• Fusion: The outer membrane and matrix protein layer of the virus fuse with
the CD4 cell membrane. This allows it to release its inner capsid into the cell.
• Reverse Transcription: The virus uses the reverse transcriptase enzyme to
convert its RNA into DNA. As viral DNA, the virus is now able to enter the
nucleus of the cell.
• Integration: Now inside the nucleus, HIV DNA inserts itself into the hosts’
own genetic code. It does this using the integrase enzyme.
• Replication: The virus uses the cell’s replication system to create more
of itself in the form of HIV proteins.
• Assembly: These new HIV proteins, along with HIV RNA, congregate
near the surface of the cell membrane. Together they have the tools
to create immature, noninfectious HIV.
• Budding: These new HIV components push out of the cell membrane.
Once out of the cell, the protease enzyme changes immature HIV into
its mature, infectious form.
THE TIME LINE OF HIV INFECTION
1.ACUTE HIV INFECTION
• Acute HIV infection is the earliest stage of HIV infection, and it generally develops
within 2 to 4 weeks after infection with HIV. During this time, some people have
flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and rash.
• In the acute stage of infection, HIV multiplies rapidly and spreads throughout the
body. The virus attacks and destroys the infection-fighting CD4 cells (
CD4 T lymphocyte) of the immune system.
• During the acute HIV infection stage, the level of HIV in the blood is very high,
which greatly increases the risk of HIV transmission. A person may experience
significant health benefits if they start antiretroviral therapy (ART) during this
stage.
2.CHRONIC HIV INFECTION
• The second stage of HIV infection is chronic HIV infection (also called asymptomatic
HIV infection or clinical latency).
• During this stage, HIV continues to multiply in the body but at very low levels.
People with chronic HIV infection may not have any HIV-related symptoms.
Without ART, chronic HIV infection usually advances to AIDS in 10 years or longer,
though in some people it may advance faster.
• People who are taking ART may be in this stage for several decades. While it is still
possible to transmit HIV to others during this stage, people who take ART exactly as
prescribed and maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of
transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex.
3.AIDS
• AIDS is the final, most severe stage of HIV infection.
• Because HIV has severely damaged the immune system, the body cannot fight
off opportunistic infections. (Opportunistic infections are infections and infection-
related cancers that occur more frequently or are more severe in people with
weakened immune systems than in people with healthy immune systems.)
• People with HIV are diagnosed with AIDS if they have a CD4 count of less than
200 cells/mm3 or if they have certain opportunistic infections.
• Once a person is diagnosed with AIDS, they can have a high viral load and are
able to transmit HIV to others very easily. Without treatment, people with AIDS
typically survive about 3 years.