Agenda - Council - 05/28/1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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A I D S AIDS virus attacks a person's immune system and damages his/her abitity to fight other disease. Without a functioning immune system to ward offother germs, he/she now becomes vulnerable to becoming infected by bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and other viruses and malignancies, which may cause life-threatening illness, such as pneumonia, meningitis, and cancer. No Known Cure There is presently no cure for AIDS. There is presently no vaccine to prevent/fiDS. Virus Invades Blood Stream When the AIDS virus enters the blood stream, it begins to attack certain white blood ceils (T-Lymphocytes). Sub- stances called antibodies are produced by the body. These antibodies can be detected in the blood by a simple test, usually two weeks to three months after infection. Even before the antibody test is positive, the victim can pass the virus to others by methods that will be explained. Once an individual is infected, there are several possi- bilities. Some people may remain well but even so they are able to infect others. Others may develop a disease that is less serious than AIDS referred to as AIDS Related Complex (ARC). In some people the protective immune system may be destroyed by the virus and then other germs (bacteria, protozoa, fungi and other viruses) and cancers that ordi- narily would never get a foothold cause "opportunistic diseases"-- using the opportuniiy of lowered resistance to infect and destroy. Some of the most common are Pneumocystis cam'nil pneumonia and tuberculosis. Indi- viduals infected with the AIDS virus may also develop certain types of cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma. These infected people have cLassic/fiDS. Evidence shows that the AIDS virus may also attack the nervous system, causing damage to the brain. A I D S: Signs and Symptoms No Signs Some people remain apparently well a~er infection with the AIDS virus. They may have no physically apparent syrup. toms of illness. However, if proper precautions are not used with sexual contacts and/or intravenous drug use, these infected individuals can spread the virus to other~ Anyone who thinks he or she is infected or involved in high ri.st/behaviors should not donate his/her blood, organs, tissues, or sperm because they may now contain the AIDS vires. ARC AIDS-Related Complex (ARC) is a condition caused by the AIDS virus in which the patient tests positive for/fiDS infection and has a specific set of clinical symptoms. How- ever, ARC patients' symptoms are often less severe than those with the disease we c~ classic.MDS. Signs and symptoms of ARC may include loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, night sweats, skin rashes, diarrhea, tired, ness, lack of resistance to infection, or swollen lymph nodes. These are also signs and symptoms of many other diseases and a physician should be consulted. A/DS Only a qualified health professional can diagnose/fiDS, which is the result of a natural progress of infection by the AIDS virus. AIDS destroys the body's immune (defense) system and allows otherwise controllable infections to invade the body and cause additional diseases. These opportu~tic diseases would not otherwise gain a foothold in the body:. These opportunistic diseases may eventually cause death. Some symptoms and signs of AIDS and the "opportunistic infections" may include a persistent cough and fever asso- ciated with shortness of breath or difficult breathing and 11 I I I I !