AIDS, caused by, clinical features, drug brief view
Caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV), which destroys a subgroup of lymphocytes and monocytes, resulting in suppression of the immune system. The virus enters the host cell and causes a mutation of its DNA so that the host cell becomes an infective agent(known as the provirus).
Signs and symptoms-- include fever, malaise, painful throat, swollen lymph nodes and aching muscles in the initial period following infection. After a variable period of latency(1-15 years) weight loss, Night sweats, longlasting fever and diarrhoea occur as AIDS itself develops, which eventually progresses to the acquisition of major opportunistic infections and cancers such as pneumonia or kaposi's sarcoma (a malignant skin tumour appearing as purple to dark brown plaques) .
Antiretroviral drugs are used to prolong the lives of infected individuals although there is no cure or vaccine for the disease.
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