ABC OF AIDS
AIDS is the abbreviation1) of ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME.It is a complicated illness that may involve several phases.it is caused by a virus that can be passed from person to person.AIDS impairs the human body's immune system,the system responsible for keeping off disease,and leaves the victim easily affected by various infection.
The virus enters the bloodstream and destroys certain white blood cells,called T lymphocytes2),which play a key role in the functioning of the immune system.The virus can also infect other types of cells in the body,including the immune-system cells knows as macrophages3).Unlike T lymphocytes,however,macrophages are not killed by the virus.
Most people recently infected by the AIDS virus look and feel healthy.In some people the virus may remain inactive,and these people act as carriers,remaining apparently healthy but still able to infect others.After a few years,some people may develop AIDS-related complex,or ARC.Its symptoms may include fever,fatigue4),weight loss,skin rashes,a fungal5) infection of the mouth known as thrush,lack of resistance to infection,and swollen lymph nodes.
AIDS is spread by direct infection of the bloodstream with body fluids that contain the AIDS virus,particular blood and semen from an HIV-infected person.The virus is usually spread through various forms of sexual intercourse,the transfusion of virus-infected blood,or the sharing of HIV-contaminated intravenous6) need les.
艾滋病小知識(shí)
AIDS(艾滋?。┦茿cquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (獲得性免疫缺損綜合癥)的縮寫。它是一種復(fù)雜的疾病,分好幾個(gè)階段,由一種通過(guò)人體密切接觸而傳播的病毒引起。艾滋病損傷人體抵御疾病的免疫系統(tǒng),使患者易于受到各種感染。
艾滋病病毒進(jìn)入血液并損壞一種在免疫系統(tǒng)中起著關(guān)鍵作用的白細(xì)胞-T淋巴細(xì)胞。這種病毒也會(huì)感染人體的其他類型的細(xì)胞,包括免疫系統(tǒng)中的巨噬細(xì)胞。然而,不像T淋巴細(xì)胞,巨噬細(xì)胞不會(huì)被病毒殺死。
剛感染艾滋病病毒的大多數(shù)人看上去仍然健康,而且自我也感覺(jué)身體還好。在一些人身上,這種病毒可呈非活躍狀態(tài)。但這些人是病毒的攜帶者,他們雖然自己健康,卻能把病毒傳染給別人。幾年之后,有些人會(huì)得與艾滋病有關(guān)的綜合癥(ARC),其癥狀包括有發(fā)燒、疲勞、體重減輕、皮疹、蛾口瘡(口腔真菌感染)、缺乏對(duì)感染的抵抗力以及淋巴腫瘤。
艾滋病是通過(guò)含有艾滋病病毒的體液,尤其是HIV(人類免疫缺損病毒)感染者的血液和精液,直接感染血液而傳播的。通常,艾滋病的傳播途徑有性交、輸入感染病毒的血液和使用被HIV污染的靜脈注射針頭等。
NOTE 注釋:
abbreviation [E7bri:vi5eiFEn] n. 縮寫, 縮寫詞
lymphocyte [5limfEsait] n. 淋巴球, 淋巴細(xì)胞
macrophage [5mAkrEfeidV] n. [生]巨噬細(xì)胞
fatigue [fE5ti:^] n. 疲乏, 疲勞
fungal [5fQN^El] adj. 真菌的
intravenous [7intrE5vi:nEs] adj. 靜脈內(nèi)的