Aids/HIV
By: Rhett Vaughn
Symptoms
The symptoms are fever, chills, night sweat, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes
Causes
How the virus replicates.
How virus replicates: HIV can infect multiple cells in your body, including brain cells, but its main target is the CD4 lymphocyte( helper cells) , also called a T-cell or CD4 cell. If your body can't activate the immune system then you have Aids. When a CD4 cell is infected with HIV, the virus goes through multiple steps to reproduce itself and create many more virus particles. AIds/HIV is asymptomatic and goes through the Lysogenic Cycle. The steps for Aids/HIV replication are
1: HIV bonds to a cd4 cell and unlocks it. Once unlocked it fuses with the cell and releases its genetic material.
2: An enzyme called Reverse Transcription changes the genetic material of the virus so it can be integrated into the cell.
3: The genetic material enters the nucleus of the CD4 cell and uses and enzyme called Integrase where it is integrated and may "hide" for several years.
4: Protease and enzyme cuts the longer HIV proteins into individual proteins. When these come together with the virus genetic material a new virus has been assembled.
5:The Virus pushes its way out of the cell taking part of the membrane. The membrane covers the virus and all of the structure necessary to find another CD4 cell and repeat the process
Lysogenic Cycle of HIV
Immune Cells involved
Treatments for HIV/Aids
The medications for aids are Etravirine (Intelence), Zidovudine (Retrovir), Abacavir/Lamivudine (Epzicom), Stavudine (Zerit), Maraviroc, Lamivudine/Zidovudine, Tenofovir disoproxil (Viread), Abacavir (Ziagen), Efavirenz (Sustiva), Delavirdine, Nevirapine (Viramune), Emtricitabine/Tenofovir, Lamivudine (Epivir), Abacavir/Lamivudine/Zidovudine (Trizivir). Etravine is used to decrease the amount of HIV in the blood. Although it doesn't cure HIV it reduces the chance of getting more HIV related illnesses and Aids. Another medication is Stavudine and this drug is used to prevent HIV cells from multiplying in your body.
How to prevent the virus
To decrease the chance of getting HIV use condoms correctly every time you have vaginal, oral, or anal sex. If you inject drugs(which you shouldn't) use sterile injection equipment and clean water. Also never share equipment.