Current Infectious Disease Issues
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a sexually transmitted disease that is spread through the exchange of bodily fluids. HIV affects the human immune system, decreasing the effectiveness of it. If left untreated, HIV affects the immune system by decreasing the quantity of CD4 white blood cells. If the number of CD4 cells in an HIV infected individual decreases below 200 cells per micro-liter of blood that person has advanced to the more serious condition of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). AIDS was first discovered in 1981, and there are currently more than 1,000,000 Americans living with HIV. In 2008 the CDC released new findings that were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), stating that approximately 56,000 new HIV infections occurred annually. For more about HIV/AIDS click here.
The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is an infection of the liver and can be acute or chronic. In most cases acute infections become chronic. Unlike Hepatitis A & B there is no vaccine for HCV. Hepatitis C is a blood borne illness, and is most often transmitted through injection drug use and exposure to HCV infected blood. Although it is less commonly spread through sexual behaviors, it is still possible to contract HCV through them. Approximately 3,200,000 individuals in the US are living with HCV according to the CDC. For more about HCV click here.
