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Visna-maedi virus. 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), [1][2] a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. [3]
HIV is a retrovirus that primarily infects components of the human immune system such as CD4 + T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. It directly and indirectly destroys CD4 + T cells. [89] HIV is a member of the genus Lentivirus, [90] part of the family Retroviridae. [91] Lentiviruses share many morphological and biological characteristics.
History of HIV/AIDS. False-color scanning electron micrograph of HIV-1, in green, budding from cultured lymphocyte. AIDS is caused by a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which originated in non-human primates in Central and West Africa. While various sub-groups of the virus acquired human infectivity at different times, the present pandemic ...
The genome and proteins of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) have been the subject of extensive research since the discovery of the virus in 1983. [1] [2] "In the search for the causative agent, it was initially believed that the virus was a form of the Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV), which was known at the time to affect the human immune system and cause certain leukemias.
The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. [4][5][6] According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS had killed approximately 40.4 million people, and approximately 39 million people were ...
Transmission [ edit] HIV is spread primarily by unprotected sex (including anal, and oral sex ), contaminated blood transfusions, and hypodermic needles. It can also be spread from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. [6] Some bodily fluids, such as saliva and tears, do not transmit HIV. [7]
HIV-1 is the most common and most pathogenic strain of the virus. As of 2022, approximately 1.3 million such infections occur annually. [4] [5] Scientists divide HIV-1 into a major group (group M) and two or more minor groups, namely groups N, O and possibly a group P.
The HIV set point is the viral load or number of virions in the blood of a person infected with HIV. HIV infections are broken down into three stages: acute infection, asymptomatic infection, and AIDS. The acute infection stage refers to the first weeks after infection, where the majority of infected individuals display severe flu-like symptoms ...