ELISA, Western blot, rapid immunoblot strip assay (RIBA), and RT-PCR detect host antibodies or viral proteins produced during infection. Immunohistological staining may also be used to detect the presence of viral antigens. There are no clinical treatments other than general supportive care available for HPS infections. Patients with HFRS can be treated with ribavirin . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Hantavirus: Treatment.” 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/technical/hps/treatment.html. Accessed July 28, 2016.
- Compare the two Hantavirus diseases discussed in this section.
Human immunodeficiency virus
Human T-lymphotropic viruses (HTLV), also called human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are retroviruses that are the causative agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome ( AIDS ). There are two main variants of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) . HIV-1 ( [link] ) occurs in human populations worldwide, whereas HIV-2 is concentrated in West Africa. Currently, the most affected region in the world is sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated 25.6 million people living with HIV in 2015. World Health Organization. “HIV/AIDS: Fact Sheet.” 2016.http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs360/en/. Accessed July 28, 2016. Sub-Saharan Africa also accounts for two-thirds of the global total of new HIV infections ( [link] ). ibid.
HIV is spread through direct contact with body fluids. Casual contact and insect vectors are not sufficient for disease transmission; common modes of transmission include sexual contact and sharing of needles by intravenous (IV) drug users. It generally takes many years before the effects of an HIV infection are detected. HIV infections are not dormant during this period: virions are continually produced, and the immune system continually attempts to clear the viral infection, while the virus persistently infects additional CD4 T cells . Over time, the CD4 T-cell population is devastated, ultimately leading to AIDS.
When people are infected with HIV, their disease progresses through three stages based on CD4 T-cell counts and the presence of clinical symptoms ( [link] ).
- Stage 1: Acute HIV infection. Two to 4 weeks after infection with HIV, patients may experience a flu-like illness, which can last for a few weeks. Patients with acute HIV infection have more than 500 cells/μL CD4 T cells and a large amount of virus in their blood. Patients are very contagious during this stage. To confirm acute infection, either a fourth-generation antibody-antigen test or a nucleic acid test (NAT) must be performed.
- Stage 2: Clinical latency. During this period, HIV enters a period of dormancy. Patients have between 200 and 499 cells/μL CD4 T cells; HIV is still active but reproduces at low levels, and patients may not experience any symptoms of illness. For patients who are not taking medicine to treat HIV, this period can last a decade or longer. For patients receiving antiretroviral therapy , the stage may last for several decades, and those with low levels of the virus in their blood are much less likely to transmit HIV than those who are not virally suppressed. Near the end of the latent stage, the patient’s viral load starts to increase and the CD4 T-cell count begins to decrease, leading to the development of symptoms and increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections.
- Stage 3: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Patients are diagnosed with AIDS when their CD4 T-cell count drops below 200 cells/μL or when they develop certain opportunistic illnesses. During this stage, the immune system becomes severely damaged by HIV. Common symptoms of AIDS include chills, fever, sweats, swollen lymph glands, weakness, and weight loss; in addition, patients often develop rare cancers such as Kaposi’s sarcoma and opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis pneumonia , tuberculosis , cryptosporidiosis , and toxoplasmosis . This is a fatal progression that, in the terminal stages, includes wasting syndrome and dementia complex. Patients with AIDS have a high viral load and are highly infectious; they typically survive about 3 years without treatment.