Is HIV a disease?
I can't get a straight answer from google and I'm trying to write a biology essay that's titled "Causes of disease in humans"
Original post by libertykamp
I can't get a straight answer from google and I'm trying to write a biology essay that's titled "Causes of disease in humans"
HIV is the infection - the virus. AIDS is the disease caused by unmanaged HIV infection.
Original post by TRAnders
HIV is the infection - the virus. AIDS is the disease caused by unmanaged HIV infection.
Isn't AIDS a syndrome not a disease?
you couldn't get a straight answer? here you go.
Yes, it is a disease.
HIV/AIDS is a disease.
Original post by libertykamp
Isn't AIDS a syndrome not a disease?
HIV is the name of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, just as Homo sapiens is the name of the human species.
When infected by HIV, the body can respond in a number of ways. In some cases, the infection is completely suppressed, just as sometimes, we can get infected by a flu virus and never even know we had it - our immune system clears it spontaneously.
Sometimes, the infection takes hold and produces various signs of damage to our systems.
There are a number of possible diagnoses that we can have as a result of HIV infection, but by far the best known is called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome - AIDS. You are diagnosed as having AIDS when you have HIV infection, plus a variety of "AIDS defining conditions", such as:
- Candidiasis of the esophagus, bronchi, trachea, or lungs [(but NOT the mouth (thrush)]
- Coccidioidomycosis, disseminated or extrapulmonary
- Cryptosporidiosis, chronic intestinal (greater than one month's duration)
- Cytomegalovirus retinitis (with loss of vision)......
(....the list goes on)
So HIV is the causative agent for a number of diseases, but is not a disease in itself. AIDS is called a syndrome because it presents as a collection of different signs and symptoms; the underlying cause is infection with HIV, which triggers or causes other infections or disease processes to take hold.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- OCR Biology
- mark scheme biology 2022 gcse combined science higher paper 1
- AQA GCSE Biology Paper 1 (Higher Tier) 8461/1H - 17 May 2022 [Unofficial Mark Scheme]
- QMUL or SOAS?
- sexual health in denmark
- Suffer with health anxiety
- AQA A level biology HIV
- Am I still a virgin?
- AQA GCSE Biology Paper 1 (Higher Tier) 2022
- Worried about Occupational Health checks (weight)
- How to structure Nat 5 Geography answers?
- AQA A Level Biology Cells
- OCR A-Level Geography Geographical Debates | [12th June 2023] Exam Chat
- Not sure if this this SA or something else?
- EPQ suggestions - Pharmacy related
- STI test: how soon would a positive gonorrhoea result show?
- Help me experts please
- biology paper 1
- Concerned about health
- Disease X: A hidden but inevitable creeping danger
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 day ago
Edexcel A Level Politics Paper 1 (9PL0 01) - 21st May 2024 [Exam Chat]A-levels
10
Trending
Last reply 1 day ago
Edexcel A Level Politics Paper 1 (9PL0 01) - 21st May 2024 [Exam Chat]A-levels
10
