SBI3U_BorjaSouhaib_Module11 by Souhaib Borja

Identify the organism using the scientific (genus and species) name and common name.

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:00:09 UTC

Genus: Lentivirus

Species: Human immunodeficiency virus

Common name: HIV

Describe the anatomy of the disease causing organism.

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:04:25 UTC

An HIV particle is around 100-150 billionths of a metre in diameter.

Unlike most bacteria, HIV particles are much too small to be seen through an ordinary microscope. However they can be seen clearly with an electron microscope.

The viral core (or capsid) is usually bullet-shaped and is made from the protein p24. Inside the core are three enzymes required for HIV replication called reverse transcriptase, integrase and protease.

Also held within the core is HIV's genetic material, which consists of two identical strands of RNA.

Identify the time period when the virus was discovered.

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:07:14 UTC

In 1984, research groups led by Dr. Gallo, Dr. Luc Montagnier at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and Dr. Jay Levy at the University of California, San Francisco, all identified a retrovirus as the cause of AIDS.

When, how and by whom was the organism first isolated?

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:08:51 UTC

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is caused by a virus, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) first isolated by French researchers in 1983.

Where is the organism prevalent?

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:16:18 UTC

HIV is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, where over 28 million people are living with HIV.

Identify the disease the virus causes.

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:17:46 UTC

HIV causes AIDS: Acquired Immunodeficiency disease.

Explain the symptoms of the disease.

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:18:58 UTC

Within 2-4 weeks after HIV infection, many, but not all, people experience flu-like symptoms, often described as the “worst flu ever.” This is called “acute retroviral syndrome” (ARS) or “primary HIV infection,” and it’s the body’s natural response to the HIV infection.

Symptoms can include:

Fever (this is the most common symptom)
Swollen glands
Sore throat
Rash
Fatigue
Muscle and joint aches and pains
Headache

These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. However, you should not assume you have HIV if you have any of these symptoms. Each of these symptoms can be caused by other illnesses. Conversely, not everyone who is infected with HIV develops ARS. Many people who are infected with HIV do not have any symptoms at all for 10 years or more.

During this late stage of HIV infection, people infected with HIV may have the following symptoms:

Rapid weight loss
Recurring fever or profuse night sweats
Extreme and unexplained tiredness
Prolonged swelling of the lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck
Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
Sores of the mouth, anus, or genitals
Pneumonia
Red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids
Memory loss, depression, and other neurologic disorders.

Explain how the organism is transmitted (life cycle).

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:25:26 UTC

Explain how this cycle can be broken or prevented.

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:27:47 UTC

Without treatment, HIV infection gradually destroys the immune system and advances to AIDS. HIV medicines protect the immune system by blocking HIV at different stages of the HIV life cycle. HIV medicines are grouped into different drug classes according to how they fight HIV. Each class of drugs attacks HIV at a different stage of the HIV life cycle. Standard HIV treatment (also called antiretroviral therapy or ART) involves taking a combination of HIV medicines from at least two different HIV drug classes every day. Because HIV medicines in different drug classes block HIV at different stages of the HIV life cycle, ART is highly effective at preventing HIV from multiplying. Having less HIV in the body protects the immune system and prevents HIV from advancing to AIDS. ART also reduces the risk of HIV drug resistance.

Is there preventative or cure for this illness, if so, how was it discovered and by whom?

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:30:50 UTC

There is no functional cure for HIV or AIDS, meaning that there is no procedure or medication which has been scientifically proven to reliably eliminate the virus from a person's body or reverse the damage to the immune system.

HIV Life Cycle

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:38:10 UTC

How HIV infects a cell and replicates itself using reverse transcriptase.

HIV Fact Sheet

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:39:52 UTC

References

SBorja97 — 2015-05-04 18:42:53 UTC

AVERT. HIV Structure and Life Cycle. 2014. 4 May 2015.

<http://www.avert.org/hiv-structure-and-life-cycle.htm>.

Kable Intelligence Ltd. HIV: Hope on the Horizon? 7 April 2011. Map. 4 May 2015.

<http://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/uploads/feature/feature115356/2-hiv.jpg>.

kleptoplast. HIV life cycle: How HIV infects a cell and replicates itself using reverse

transcriptase. 6 January 2012. Video. 4 May 2015 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odRyv7V8LAE>.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Is there a cure for HIV or AIDS? 2015. Article. 4 May

2015. <http://sfaf.org/hiv-info/basics/is-there-a-cure-for-hiv-aids.html>.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Signs & Symptoms. 19 December 2013.

Article. 4 May 2015. <https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/signs-and-symptoms/>.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HIV Overview. 26 March 2015. Fact

Sheet. 4 May 2015. <http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/education-materials/fact-sheets/19/73/the-hiv-life-cycle>.

World Health Organization. About HIV/AIDS. 1997. Article. 4 May 2015.

<http://www.who.int/hiv/abouthiv/en/>.

—. Fact Sheet 1 HIV/AIDS: the infection. 1997. Fact Sheet. 4 May 2015.

<http://www.who.int/hiv/abouthiv/en/fact_sheet_hiv.htm>.