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The infection progresses to AIDS when the count falls below 200 CD4 T cells/μL, at which point opportunistic infections can be lethal. At this stage, an infected person has 2-3 years of life expectancy. The use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) can greatly slow the progression of the virus to AIDS.
With improvements in HIV therapy, several studies now estimate that patients on treatment in high-income countries can expect a normal life expectancy. [ 69 ] [ 70 ] This means that a higher proportion of people living with HIV are now older and research is ongoing into the unique aspects of HIV infection in the older adult.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is defined as an HIV infection with either a CD4 + T cell count below 200 cells per μL or the occurrence of specific diseases associated with HIV infection. [32] In the absence of specific treatment, around half of people infected with HIV develop AIDS within ten years. [32]
HIV, also known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a virus that attacks the cells that help the body fight infection. It is spread by contact with the bodily fluids of a person with HIV or ...
An HIV antibody test usually detects the HIV antibodies within two to eight weeks, but can have a valid negative result for a long as 2 to 6 months after initial infection. Viral load tests can also be used to diagnose HIV infection, especially in children under 18 months born to mothers with HIV, where the presence of maternal antibodies ...
HIV seeks out and destroys CCR5 expressing CD4 + cells during acute infection. A vigorous immune response eventually controls the infection and initiates the clinically latent phase. However, CD4 + T cells in mucosal tissues remain depleted throughout the infection, although enough remain to initially ward off life-threatening infections.
Following infection with HIV-1, the rate of clinical disease progression varies between individuals.Factors such as host susceptibility, genetics and immune function, [1] health care and co-infections [2] as well as viral genetic variability [3] may affect the rate of progression to the point of needing to take medication in order not to develop AIDS.
HIV infection is becoming endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, which is home to just over 12% of the world's population but two-thirds of all people infected with HIV. [38] As of 2022, it is estimated that the adult HIV prevalence rate is 6.2%, a 1.2% increase from data reported in the 2011 UNAIDS World Aids Day Report.