HIV Infection and AIDS

HIV Infection

• HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) leads to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)

Causative Agent

• HIV is an RNA retrovirus that attacks T-cells (CD-4 cells) in the immune system, interfering with immune response
• HIV is found in the blood and bodily fluids (semen, vaginal secretion, breast milk) of infected humans of all ages

Structure

• HIV belongs to the retrovirus family
• The virus is spherical, approximately 120 nm in diameter
• Composed of three main layers: Envelope, Viral Matrix, and Core
• The virus contains two copies of positive single-stranded RNA, enclosed by a capsid composed of 2,000 copies of the viral protein p24

Epidemiology

• Approximately 36.7 million people worldwide lived with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2016
• 2.1 million of those infected were children