About HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

      Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune systemopportunistic infections. Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unsafe sex, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth (perinatal transmission). Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in the developed world. begins to fail, leading to life-threatening

      HIV infection in humans is considered pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Nevertheless, complacency about HIV may play a key role in HIV risk. From its discovery in 1981 to 2006, AIDS killed more than 25 million people. HIV infects about 0.6% of the world's population.In 2005 alone, AIDS claimed an estimated 2.4–3.3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children. A third of these deaths are occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and increasing poverty. According to current estimates, HIV is set to infect 90 million people in Africa, resulting in a minimum estimate of 18 million orphans. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries.

      Kevin Fenton, MD, PhD, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, released a statement that reminded Americans of the toll HIV/AIDS has taken. 

      "On this World AIDS Day, we are reminded that the fight against HIV is far from over, in the United States and around the world," Fenton said. "Every nine and a half minutes, someone in the United States is newly infected with HIV. One in five of the more than 1 million people living with HIV in this country are unaware of their infections and may be unknowingly transmitting the virus to others."

      Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, director of the division of HIV/AIDS prevention at the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, echoed Fenton's sentiments and said increasing the number of health care providers should be made a priority in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
      "We must acknowledge and work to expand the critical role of health care providers in stemming the toll of HIV/AIDS in the United States," Mermin said. "In the early days of HIV in this country, health care providers were on the front lines in identifying and confronting an unknown and emerging epidemic. They played a key role in research to identify effective treatments and have helped extend the length and quality of life of countless Americans living with HIV and AIDS. And although the epidemic has changed over time, the role of health care providers remains just as important today, not only for treating those with HIV, but also for helping to stop new infections."

Research sourses:

http://www.infectiousdiseasenews.com/article/51009.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV