Because the immune system of an HIV/AIDS patient is compromised, a variety of different diseases can occur. Pneumonia and TB are among the most common opportunistic diseases.
The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested. Knowing your status is important because it helps you make healthy decisions to prevent contracting or transmitting HIV.
While some people may not feel sick during the first stage of infection, others may experience a flu-like illness within 2 to 4 weeks after infection. Flu-like symptoms include: fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, or mouth ulcers. During this time, HIV infection may not show up on an HIV test, but people who have it are highly contagious and can spread the infection to others.
If you have these symptoms, that does not mean you have HIV. Each of these symptoms can be caused by other illnesses as well. If you have these symptoms after a potential exposure to HIV, see a healthcare provider and tell them about your risk. The only way to determine whether you are infected is to be tested for the HIV infection.
Treatment
Treatments for HIV/AIDS continue to improve, with more promising treatments on the way. Currently, antiretroviral medications are designed to reduce the amount of virus in a patient’s bloodstream and better allow the immune system to fight off infections. These medications, along with other interventions, can greatly increase the quality of life for HIV/AIDS patients and their families.
Prevention
Prevention remains our most valuable tool in the fight against this disease. The government is working to increase awareness and aid in prevention by:
• Making HIV testing and education a routine part of medical care.
• Implementing new models for diagnosing HIV infections outside medical settings.
• Preventing the increase of new infections by educating people diagnosed with HIV and their partners.
HEPATITIS A
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection continues to be one of the most frequently reported vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States despite the introduction of a vaccine in 1995. In the United States, the highest rates of HAV infection occur disproportionately in western states, with Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Idaho, Nevada and California leading the list.
The incidence of hepatitis A infection is closely related to socioeconomic development. In countries highly endemic for hep A, most people are infected during childhood but may show no symptoms. Infection with HAV induces lifelong immunity. It is estimated that 1.4 million clinical cases of hepatitis A occur each year worldwide.
In 2014, there were an estimated 2,500 acute hepatitis A infections in the United States. Rates of hepatitis A in the United States are the lowest they have been in 40 years. The hepatitis A vaccine was introduced in 1995 and health professionals now routinely vaccinate all children, travelers to certain countries, and persons at risk for the disease. Many experts believe hepatitis A vaccination has dramatically affected rates of the disease in the United States.
Symptoms
Hepatitis A is a viral illness passed in feces, urine and blood of infected primates, including humans. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice and lethargy. This virus is extremely virulent. It can survive the body’s highly acidic digestive tract and, at room temperature, can live for more than a week outside the body. In water, it can survive 3 to 10 months, which is why it can be found in shellfish in sewage-contaminated bodies of water around the world.
Hepatitis A has an incubation period of 15-50 days, but the average is 28. People with acute HAV may experience mild flu-like symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and general malaise. They may also have jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), along with pale- colored stools and dark urine. Many people with HAV, especially children, exhibit no symptoms; however, asymptomatic hepatitis A-infected people can still transmit the disease to others.
Hepatitis A resolves completely on its own. Symptoms usually last less than 2 months, although some people can be ill for as long as 6 months. After acute illness,
9 The Basics
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