AIDS


Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is a recently recognized disease
entity. It is caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
which attacks selected cells in the immune system (see IMMUNITY) and produces
defects in function. These defects may not be apparent for years. They lead in
a relentless fashion, however, to a severe suppression of the immune system's
ability to resist harmful organisms. This leaves the body open to an invasion
by various infections, which are therefore called opportunistic diseases, and to
the development of unusual cancers. The virus also tends to reach certain brain
cells. This leads to so-called neuropsychiatric abnormalities, or psychological
disturbances caused by physical damage to nerve cells. Since the first AIDS
cases were reported in 1981, through mid-1992, more than 190,000 AIDS cases and
more than 152,000 deaths had been reported in the United States alone. This is
only the tip of the iceberg of HIV......

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Title: Aids
Approximate Word Count: 2850
Approximate Pages: 12 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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