Title: Human Immunodeficiency virus and exposure to HIV through childbirth
Introduction:
HIV also known as Human immunodeficiency virus attacks primarily on body’s immune system and if not cured then it can causes the fatal disease acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS]. This virus bouts the WBCs [white blood cells], known as CD4 cells, connect itself with these cells and replicate itself by transporting its genetic material inside the host cell. This in turn destroys the CD4 cell. Now, the newly formed viruses repeat this same cycle on another T cells. Hence, interferes with the body's ability to fight infections. A normal healthy adult has around 500 to 1600 CD4 cells/mm3 while HIV infected person has reduced CD4 count of 200 cells/mm3 [1]. Cu
ently, there are 38.1 million HIV infected people worldwide and in 2020, there were 29,090 people got affected from HIV in Australia [2]. By the year 2020, nearly 1 million people die globally due to HIV and nearly 7000 patients died in Australia due to the deadly virus HIV [3]. Mostly the people of 13 to 24 years gets predominantly affected by HIV and this disease is around 1.62 times more widespread in females than males [4]. HIV has flu-type symptoms like fever, headache, myalgia etc owing to the increase in number of copies of HIV and prevalent infection in the body. HIV is transmitted via direct contact with bodily fluids like blood, semen, vaginal fluid and
east milk. HIV can be communicated from mother to child either during pregnancy, birth of child, or via
east-feeding [5]. Treatments for HIV involve U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration agency) approved antiretroviral therapy which slows down the progression of HIV by preventing the copying of virus from itself. Across the globe nearly 1.3 million HIV positive females are getting pregnant each year. Without proper intervention, there is high frequency of spread of HIV from mother to her child (15% to 45%), and to prevent this, the use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is recommended [6, 7].
Body of Report:
HIV or the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus with envelope around it and holds two copies of single-stranded ribonucleic acid [SS- RNA] as its genome. It is responsible for the fatal disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) which is the final stage of infection of HIV. It is primarily responsible for the deadly disease AIDS which makes many young children orphans due to the death of their mother and father due to AIDS. By the year 2020, there are around 61.5% cases of HIV is reported in adults, 74% infections is present in the adolescents, and 68% of the HIV infection is reported in the young people. In the year 2021, approximately 6, 50 000 persons died from this infection of HIV or due to HIV related causes. Nearly 1.5 million people acquired this HIV virus [8]. HIV patients initially have collective infections like infections of ear, sinuses, cold, infections of skin, urinary tract and intestinal illnesses etc. Due to this virus, the main issues faced by the patients are pain in the mouth, sore throat, swelling in the lymph glands of neck, loss of weight, fever, myalgia, headaches etc. Among these specifically fatigue and muscle aches are the primary signs of infection of HIV [9]. HIV can be classified clinically into three main categories: the acute infection, chronic infection and ultimately the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) which is the deadly and last stage of this infection. The symptoms of acute infection of HIV gets developing just a few days after a person comes in contact with this virus and continues for almost 14 days. The patients have the symptoms similar to the influenza virus. A symptom of the Chronic HIV infection develops in patients after 30 of exposure to the virus. At this stage the virus replicates in the patient’s body but at a slow rate and consequently shows no symptoms of HIV. However, in later stage patients experience illnesses such as tuberculosis, dia
hoea and respiratory illnesses. In HIV infected children, due to parenting capacity reduction, increased discrimination from society and family and psychosocial stress, issues of anxiety and depression are also reported [10]. HIV is categorized as the retrovirus that solitary contains the two copies of single-stranded RNA. HIV binds to the white blood cells CD4 (T -cells) with the help of chemokine co-receptor CCR5 present on the protein envelop of HIV. These binding occu
ed due to these to the cellular receptors of the host white blood cells. HIV virus has 345 amino acids which help in the fusion of the mem
anes of this virus and the host cell. The HIV has a profligate and speedy replication process and has the specific ccr5, ccr2b, ccr3, and cxcr4 co-receptors which helps in its binding and proliferation [11].
Figure 1: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
The biological elements responsible for the transmission of HIV are the circumcision, high load of virus in the blood, and via the sexually transmitted infections. Transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child occu
ed specifically during the em
yonic stage and during the
eastfeeding [12]. For, laboratory diagnosis of HIV antigen test and nucleic acid test is performed. The antigen test of HIV detects this virus after 18 to 45 days when the person comes into contact with this virus. Another test, the Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) is more accurate and specific with a success rate of around 100%. In this, blood is drained out of the veins of patient’s and using this sample, if present any then the virus’s genetic material multiple was obtained, which was then copied or amplified to identify the genetic material in the collected specimen and confirmation of HIV in the patient[13]. On CD4 cells, HIV completed its life cycle in seven main stages-binding of virus on CD4 cells, fusion o virus with cell mem
ane to facilitate the entry of its genetic material Ribonucleic acid into the CD4 cell, translation of RNA to DNA via the activity of reverse transcriptase enzyme by the phenomena of teminism or reverse transcription, amalgamation of viral DNA into host cell CD4 DNA, duplication of viral DNA and production of its capsid proteins, assembly of new viruses by packaging of RNA into capsids and finally the budding of newly formed viruses from CD4 cells after rupturing it. Now these newly formed viruses attacks another CD4 cells and affected the immunity of patient. Drugs are designed specifically...