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Questions and Answers: HIV is the Cause of AIDS
>Questions and Answers: HIV is the Cause of AIDS
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A diagnosis of AIDS is made by a physician using certain clinical or laboratory standards.
What causes AIDS?
AIDS is caused by infection with a virus called human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This virus is passed from one person to another through blood-to-blood and sexual contact. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy or delivery, as well as through breast feeding. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. Most of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection.
What body fluids transmit HIV?
These body fluids have been proven to spread HIV:
blood
semen
vaginal fluid
breast milk
other body fluids containing blood
These are additional body fluids that may transmit the virus that health care workers may come into contact with:
fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord
fluid surrounding bone joints
fluid surrounding an unborn baby
How does HIV cause AIDS?
HIV destroys a certain kind of blood cells--CD4+ T cells (helper cells)--which are crucial to the normal function of the human immune system. In fact, loss of these cells in people with HIV is an extremely powerful predictor of the development of AIDS. Studies of thousands of people have revealed that most people infected with HIV carry the virus for years before enough damage is done to the immune system for AIDS to develop. However, recently developed sensitive tests have shown a strong connection between the amount of HIV in the blood and the decline in CD4+ T cell numbers and the development of AIDS. Reducing the amount of virus in the body with anti-HIV drugs can slow this immune destruction.
An author indicated in a recently published book that AIDS is caused by HHV-6 rather than HIV. Is this true?
No, this is not true. Both HHV-6 and HIV infect the same kind of cells in a person's body. These cells are called CD4+ T cells (helper cells). However, AIDS will not develop in someone who is not infected with HIV. Infection with HHV-6 does not lead to infection with HIV. HHV-6, one of the eight known human herpesviruses, is common throughout the world, with over 90% of adults in many populations being infected. Most people are infected with HHV-6 between the ages of 6 months and 2 years old, soon after they lose their mother's antibodies. HHV-6 is the cause of roseola [ro ZEE o la], a usually mild childhood disease that is also called exanthem subitum [eg ZAN them SUBI tum] or sixth disease. Approximately 30% of all children get roseola, usually before 2 years of age.
Why do some people make statements that HIV does not cause AIDS?
The epidemic of HIV and AIDS has attracted much attention both within and outside the medical and scientific communities. Much of this attention comes from the many social issues--homosexuality, drug use, poverty--related to this disease. Although the scientific evidence is overwhelming and compelling that HIV is the cause of AIDS, the disease process is not yet completely understood.. This incomplete understanding has led some persons to make statements that AIDS is not caused by an infectious agent or is caused by a virus that is not HIV. This is not only misleading, but may have dangerous consequences. Before the discovery of HIV, evidence from epidemiologic studies involving tracing of patients’ sex partners and cases occurring in persons receiving transfusions of blood or blood clotting products had clearly indicated that the underlying cause of the condition was an infectious agent. Infection with HIV has been the sole common factor shared by AIDS cases throughout the world among homosexual men, transfusion recipients, persons with hemophilia, sex partners of infected persons, children born to infected women, and occupationally exposed health care workers. Recommendations to prevent HIV involve guidance to avoid or modify behaviors that pose a risk of transmitting the virus as well as the use of tests to screen donors of blood and organs.
The inescapable conclusion of more than 15 years of scientific research is that people, if exposed to HIV through sexual contact or injecting drug use, may become infected with HIV. If they become infected, most will eventually develop AIDS
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A diagnosis of AIDS is made by a physician using certain clinical or laboratory standards.
What causes AIDS?
AIDS is caused by infection with a virus called human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This virus is passed from one person to another through blood-to-blood and sexual contact. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy or delivery, as well as through breast feeding. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. Most of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection.
What body fluids transmit HIV?
These body fluids have been proven to spread HIV:
blood
semen
vaginal fluid
breast milk
other body fluids containing blood
These are additional body fluids that may transmit the virus that health care workers may come into contact with:
fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord
fluid surrounding bone joints
fluid surrounding an unborn baby
How does HIV cause AIDS?
HIV destroys a certain kind of blood cells--CD4+ T cells (helper cells)--which are crucial to the normal function of the human immune system. In fact, loss of these cells in people with HIV is an extremely powerful predictor of the development of AIDS. Studies of thousands of people have revealed that most people infected with HIV carry the virus for years before enough damage is done to the immune system for AIDS to develop. However, recently developed sensitive tests have shown a strong connection between the amount of HIV in the blood and the decline in CD4+ T cell numbers and the development of AIDS. Reducing the amount of virus in the body with anti-HIV drugs can slow this immune destruction.
An author indicated in a recently published book that AIDS is caused by HHV-6 rather than HIV. Is this true?
No, this is not true. Both HHV-6 and HIV infect the same kind of cells in a person's body. These cells are called CD4+ T cells (helper cells). However, AIDS will not develop in someone who is not infected with HIV. Infection with HHV-6 does not lead to infection with HIV. HHV-6, one of the eight known human herpesviruses, is common throughout the world, with over 90% of adults in many populations being infected. Most people are infected with HHV-6 between the ages of 6 months and 2 years old, soon after they lose their mother's antibodies. HHV-6 is the cause of roseola [ro ZEE o la], a usually mild childhood disease that is also called exanthem subitum [eg ZAN them SUBI tum] or sixth disease. Approximately 30% of all children get roseola, usually before 2 years of age.
Why do some people make statements that HIV does not cause AIDS?
The epidemic of HIV and AIDS has attracted much attention both within and outside the medical and scientific communities. Much of this attention comes from the many social issues--homosexuality, drug use, poverty--related to this disease. Although the scientific evidence is overwhelming and compelling that HIV is the cause of AIDS, the disease process is not yet completely understood.. This incomplete understanding has led some persons to make statements that AIDS is not caused by an infectious agent or is caused by a virus that is not HIV. This is not only misleading, but may have dangerous consequences. Before the discovery of HIV, evidence from epidemiologic studies involving tracing of patients’ sex partners and cases occurring in persons receiving transfusions of blood or blood clotting products had clearly indicated that the underlying cause of the condition was an infectious agent. Infection with HIV has been the sole common factor shared by AIDS cases throughout the world among homosexual men, transfusion recipients, persons with hemophilia, sex partners of infected persons, children born to infected women, and occupationally exposed health care workers. Recommendations to prevent HIV involve guidance to avoid or modify behaviors that pose a risk of transmitting the virus as well as the use of tests to screen donors of blood and organs.
The inescapable conclusion of more than 15 years of scientific research is that people, if exposed to HIV through sexual contact or injecting drug use, may become infected with HIV. If they become infected, most will eventually develop AIDS
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/cause.htm