AIDS AND ITS PREVENTION

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is a deadly disease caused by HIV (Human Immuno Deficiency Virus). HIV directly attacks all the cells of the body that have a specific receptor called CD4 on their surface. CD4 is found on a class of lymphocyte cells called T4-Cells. This class includes Helper T-Cells and this is the reason for the destruction Helper T-Cells by HIV. CD4 receptors are also found in macrophage surface and these are basically attacked by HIV. Most of the HIV transmissions in individuals occur through macrophages passed as a part of body fluids. So, macrophages act as a HIV factory. A simplified definition of AIDS is “A HIV infected person having T4 lymphocyte counts under 200/mm³ of blood. Normally T4 lymphocyte count would be 1200/mm³ of blood.

AIDS was first reported in June 1981 in U.S.A. In 1984, American and French scientists independently identified the agent as a virus. The American named it HCLV-III (Human Cell Leukaemia Virus). The name Human Immuno Deficiency Virus is now preferred to be used worldwide. There are two types of HIV namely HIV-1 and HIV-2and the most common virus associated with AIDS is HIV-1. A virus found in the blood of wild African monkey is similar to HIV-2. It is believed that AIDS in the African continent was first spreaded by monkeys. AIDS or HIV transmission generally occurs by the following ways: a) by sexual contact with infected person, b) by transfusion of contaminated blood and blood products, c) by sharing infected needles and razor blade for shaving, d) from infected mother to her child through placenta. The people who are at high risk of infection includes – person having multiple sex partner, drug addicts who take drugs intravenously, patient who require repeated blood transfusions and children born to HIV infected mothers. Although HIV has been isolated from several body fluids, the only documented transmissions are from blood, semen, vaginal secretions and by the way of breast feeding. The virus is found free and in macrophages in these fluids. There is always a time-lag between the infection and appearance of AIDS symptoms. This period may vary from a few months to many years usually 5-10 years. The median time for survival after a diagnosis of AIDS is two years. Some people live for 5-6 or more years while some survive for a few months only.

HIV does not cause any disease but it simply destroy our immune system by killing T4 cells which are protective to our body. HIV infected person becomes susceptible to opportunistic infections, invasion of normally harmless microorganisms also proliferate wildly in the body because of defective immune system. Besides pneumonia, AIDS victims have persistent fever, weight loss, diarrhoea and are especially susceptible to tuberculosis, leukoplakia (Whitish patches on mucus membranes primarily due to yeast infections), cytomegalovirus (Leading to blindness and dementia), Herpes simplex and many other bacterial and fungal infections. AIDS virus even infects brain cells and release toxins which further kills other brain cells leaving the person brain dead. Most common HIV related opportunistic infections are Pneumocystic carnii pneumonia (PCP) and Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), a cancer of the skin. Once the host is infected by HIV, a detectable antibody response occurs in most cases within 6-8 weeks. HIV antibodies can be detected by ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) Test. A positive ELISA Test should be confirmed by another test called the Western blot test. The AIDS patients are treated with anti-retroviral drugs like AZT (Azidothymidine) or Retrovir which blocks the conversion of retroviral RNA into DNA. Other drugs are DDI (Dideoxyinosine), DDC (DIdeoxycytidine) and D4T (Stavudine) which may be used in patients who do not respond to AZT or have become resistant to it. Doctors generally prescribe Zidovudine and Nevirapine to HIV positive pregnant woman to ensure that their babies do not carry the infection. Treatment of AIDS with anti-retroviral drugs is only partial effective. They can only prolong the life of the patient but cannot prevent death, which is inevitable. 

PREVENTION OF AIDS: As AIDS has no cure, prevention is the best option. HIV infection often spreads due to conscious behaviour patterns and is not something happens inadvertently like pneumonia, typhoid or tuberculosis. The only excuse may ignorance and it is rightly said- “don’t die of ignorance”. In our country, National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and some other non-government organisation (NGOs) are doing a lot to educate people about AIDS. WHO started a number of programmes to prevent the spreading of HIV infection. Some immediate steps if taken like mandatory HIV test of couples before marriage, making blood from blood banks free from HIV, ensuring use of only disposable needles and syringes in government and private hospitals and clinics, free distribution of condoms from Govt. and appreciate people to use it during sex, controlling drug abuse, advocating safe sex and promoting regular check-ups for HIV in susceptible populations can prevent and control the spread of this deadly disease. Infection with HIV or having AIDS is something that should not be hidden otherwise the infection may spread to many more people.

HIV/AIDS infected people need help and sympathy instead of being shunned by society. Unless society recognise it with a problem to be dealt with in a collective manner, the chances of wider spread of the disease increase manifold. It is a tenseness that can only be tackled by the society and medical team acting together to prevent the spread of the disease. 

GOVERNMENT IN EVERY COUNTRY OF THE WORLD SHOULD ENACT A STRICT LAW FOR HIV TEST OF PEOPLE BEFORE MARRIAGE AND THE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO MARRY WITHOUT HIV TEST. MARRYING WITHOUT HIV TEST SHOULD BE A PUNISHABLE OFFENCE.

AIDS IS THE NAME OF A SILENT AND SERIAL KILLER WHICH HAS KILLED ABOUT 25 MILLION PEOPLE ALL OVER WORLD IN LAST 25 YEARS 0R SO AND THERE IS NO WEAPON AVAILABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS CRIMINAL. SO, IT IS RIGHTLY SAID THAT “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE”. DON’T WAIT TO BE CURED FROM AIDS WHIS IS IMPOSSIBLE. THERE IS ONE AND ONLY WAY TO SAVE OUSELVE IS PREVENTION.