1

Prof. Penncavage
Micro 244
16 December 2016
From HIV to AIDS
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease caused by the retrovirus
Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The common misconception is once an individual is
infected with HIV they have AIDS, which is in fact, not true.
HIV is a virus that spreads by attacking our immune system, specifically our T cells, the
body's first line of defense against foreign invaders. The virus uses our cells' DNA to replicate
itself and destroy T cells. When T cells decline in number it becomes almost impossible for our
body to fight off infections and diseases. Opportunistic infections take advantage of a very weak
immune system. A Viral load is the term used to describe the amount of HIV in your blood. The
higher the number of HIV noted in the blood, then the faster your T cell count will fall, and the
greater your risk of becoming ill.
If detected early and treatment begins HIV can be controlled. Treatment for HIV is called
antiretroviral therapy (ART). Antiretroviral therapy is the combination of several antiretroviral
medicines used to slow the rate at which the virus multiplies in the body. When an infected
person begins taking the right regimen every day the viral load decrease and in some cases the
becomes undetectably low. Not only does a low viral count stave off symptoms of HIV and
AIDS, but it controls the possibility of randomly mutated copy of the virus emerging that can
prove resistant to the therapy. A person on ART that maintains a very low viral load are much
less likely to transmit HIV than those who are not virally suppressed. There is also a rare

2
occasion when an HIV-positive person manages to keep AIDS at bay without medication. These
individuals are called long-term non-progressors or elite controllers and live for decades with
HIV despite not being on antiretroviral therapy.
Without treatment HIV advances in stages. Theses stages increase the stresses to the
immune system. There are three stages of HIV. Beginning with stage 1 called Acute HIV
Infection. This stage is within 2 to 4 weeks after infection and individuals experience a flu-like
illness which last for a few weeks. There is large amount of the virus in their blood and are very
contagious during this period. In some cases, in this period the individual goes unaware that
theyre infected because they may not feel sick right away or at all. Stage 2 is known as the
Clinical latency or asymptomatic HIV infection. During this phase, HIV is active but reproduces
at very low levels. Individuals may not have any symptoms or become sick during this time. This
period can last a decade or longer, but some can progress through this phase faster. People who
begin or are taking ART the right way, every day can be in this stage for several decades. At the
end of phase 2 the viral load starts to increase and the T cell count begins to go down. As the
virus levels increase in the body the individual begin to have symptoms and transitions move
into Stage 3.
Stage 3 is the Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is the most severe
phase of the HIV infection. Individuals at this stage have badly damaged immune systems. There
immune system is so badly damaged that they suffer from an increasing number of severe
illnesses. If no treatment is continued, then survival is an estimated 3 years. A person diagnosed
with AIDS T cell count drops below 200 cells/mm and normal count ranges from 600- 1200.
There are three types of HIV diagnostic tests called the antibody tests, combination or
fourth-generation tests, and nucleic acid tests (NATs). An initial HIV test will either be an

3
antibody test or combination test. It may involve obtaining blood or oral fluid for a rapid test or
sending blood or oral fluid to a laboratory. Although HIV tests are generally very accurate,
follow-up testing allows the health care provider to be sure the diagnosis is right.