Question for those who know about AIDS?

Question

I need to distinguish the difference or the relation between AIDS and HIV.

I know what thy both mean.

AIDS- acquired immune deficiency syndrome

HIV- human immune deficiency virus

But I need to know the relation. I’m writing a paper, and I would like to get the facts straight.

Answer 1

HIV is the virus. A person can be infected with HIV and not get AIDS (yet)

AIDS is the end stage of HIV infection.

So let's take patient X who has been infected with HIV. Initially there is no obvious effect until the virus takes a hole (incubation period). Then there is a generalized illness (HIV primary infection) - much like many other viral illnesses and can be misdiagnosed as such. It is usually around this time that the patient might change from being HIV negative to HIV positive and some people call this a "seroconversion illness" although this is variable.

Then there is a period of clinical latency which can vary widely from a few weeks to many years.

Eventually the number of CD4+ T cells declines and the immune system fails. As this gradually occurs, the patient becomes unwell time and again with weight loss, mouth ulcers, recurrent infections. Then particular infections (called "Opportunistic Infections") start appearing as the immune system becomes unable to fight them off. These are called "AIDS defining illnesses" as they are characteristic of AIDS - the end stage of HIV infection. These include candida (a yeast) in the lungs or airways, toxoplasmosis of the brain and a type of cancer - Kaposi's Sarcoma which is almost never seen except in patients with highly impaired immune systems.

Answer 2

I think your best answer would come from a AMA Website. There are so many different opinions here.

Answer 3

Well u can check this out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aids
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV

If i can help in any other way just give me a msg

[e-mail]