COMMUNICABLE DISEASE

HIV / AIDS
By:
Ms Fazlina Mustafa

HIV/AIDS Overview
Spread to every country in the world.
Approximately 40 million people are currently

living with HIV infection.

Estimated 25 million have died from this
disease.
The scourge of HIV has been particularly
devastating in sub-Saharan Africa, but
infection rates in other countries remain high.
Globally, 85% of HIV transmission is
heterosexual.
Infections in women are increasing worldwide, 42%.

HIV / AIDS TERMINOLOGY

HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus.
It is one of a group of viruses
known as retroviruses.
After getting into the body, the
virus kills or damages cells of
the body's immune system.
The body tries to keep up by
making new cells or trying to
contain the virus, but HIV wins
out - progressively destroys the
body's ability to fight infections
and certain cancers.

HIV / AIDS TERMINOLOGY

AIDS
stands for - acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome.
It is caused by HIV.
occurs when the virus has destroyed
so much of the body's defenses that
immune-cell.
immune-cell counts fall to critical
levels - certain life-threatening
infections or cancers develop.

MODE OF TRANSMISSION
transmitted when the virus enters the body.
Several possible ways in which the virus can
enter:
having sex with an infected partner.
injection-drug users who share needles or
syringes that are contaminated with blood
from an infected person.
Women transmit to their babies
duringpregnancyor birth -infected maternal
cells enter the baby's circulation.
health-care settings through accidental
needle sticks or contact with contaminated
fluids.

MODE OF TRANSMISSION
(cont.)
transfusion of contaminated blood or

blood components.
People who already have a sexually
transmitted disease, such assyphilis,
genital
herpes,chlamydialinfection,gonorrhe
a, orbacterial vaginosis.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Many people do not develop symptoms after

they first get infected with HIV.

flu-like illness within several days to weeks
after exposure to the virus.
fever,headache, tiredness, and enlarged
lymph nodes in the neck - disappear on their
own within a few weeks - after that, the
person feels normal and has no symptoms.
asymptomatic phase often lasts for years may last from a few months to more than 10
years.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS (cont.)

virus continues to multiply actively

and infects and kills the cells of the

immune system.
virus destroys CD4 cells - a type of
WBC, primarily infection fighters.
Even though no symptoms, he or she
is contagious and can pass HIV.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS (cont.)

Later stage of HIV infection:
the body begins losing its ability to
fight infections.
CD4 cell count falls low enough, an
infected person is said to have AIDS.
Sometimes the diagnosis of AIDS
made because the person has
unusual infections or cancers that
show how weak the immune system
is.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS (cont.)

The infections that happen with AIDS are
calledopportunistic infections because
they take advantage of the opportunity to
infect a weakened host.
The infections include:
Pneumonia caused byPneumocystis causes wheezing.
brain infectionwithtoxoplasmosis- cause
trouble thinking or symptoms that mimic
astroke.
widespread infection with a bacteria called
MAC (mycobacterium avium complex) cause fever andweight loss.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS (cont.)

The infections include (cont.)
Yeast infection of the swallowing
tube (esophagus) - causes pain
with swallowing.
widespread diseases with certain
fungi likehistoplasmosis - cause
fever,cough,anemia, and other
problems.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS (cont.)

A weakened immune system can lead
to other unusual conditions:
Lymphoma in (a form of cancer of the
lymphoid tissue) the brain - can cause
fever and trouble thinking.
a cancer of the soft tissues
calledKaposi's sarcoma - causes
brown, reddish, or purple spots that
develop on the skin or in the mouth

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS (cont.)

Kaposi's sarcoma

DIAGNOSTIC TEST
Blood tests - three main types are

commonly used: (1) antibody tests

(2) RNA tests
(3) a combination test that detects
both antibodies
and a piece of the virus called the
p24 protein.
Additional: Western blot - to confirm
the diagnosis.

TREATMENT
Medication - highly active
antiretroviral therapy (HAART)
reduced HIV-related complications
and deaths.
A combination of at least three drugs
is recommended to suppress the virus
from replicating and boost the
immune system.

TREATMENT
The different classes of medications used in
treatment:
Reverse transcriptase inhibitors - inhibit the
ability of the virus to make copies of itself.
Nucleoside or nucleotide reverse
transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs).
Zidovudine(AZT/Retrovir),didanosine(ddI/V
idex),zalcitabine(ddC/Hivid),stavudine(d4
T/Zerit),lamivudine(3TC/Epivir),abacavir(
ABC/Ziagen),emtricitabine(FTC/Emtriva),
andtenofovir(Viread).

TREATMENT
Non-nucleoside reverse
transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIS)
commonly used in combination with
NRTIs to help keep the virus from
multiplying.
Efavirenz
(Sustiva),nevirapine(Viramune), and
delavirdine(Rescriptor).Etravirine(Int
elence), a newer drugs, approved by
the U.S. FDA in 2008.

PREVENTION
Abstain from sex
Have sex with a single partner who is

uninfected.
Use a condom.
Do not share needles or inject illicit drugs.
health-care provider - follow recommended
guidelines for protecting against needle sticks
and exposure to contaminated fluids.
Get tested if engaged in risky behaviors with
HIV.
reduce risk of HIV transmission from a
pregnant woman to her baby takes
medications duringpregnancy, labor, and
delivery.