AIDS – INTRODUCTION
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, has struck terror into many of the population and may well have caused many people unnecessary worry. First described in 1981, there have been around 6000 cases since in the United States. Unfortunately, nearly 70 per cent of these are dead within two years.
The high risk groups in the U.S. are male homosexuals and bisexuals with multiple partners (70 per cent), intravenous drug abusers (18 per cent), Haitians (4 per cent), and haemophiliacs (1 per cent).
The cause is thought to be a virus which has a long incubation time, of maybe two to three years.
The virus seems to affect those whose immunity has already been depressed and then, in turn, part of the action of the virus is to further depress immunity. In this way, the sufferers develop infection from uncommon bacteria, fungi and yeasts. Also, unusual cancers may develop.
Unfortunately there is no effective treatment.
Prevention may be possible and this means trying to get the high-risk groups to alter their behavior. For haemophiliacs who require frequent injections of blood factors, prepared from pooled blood so as to maintain the clotting ability of the blood, the problem is one for the Blood Banks to solve.
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