Measles and HIV

• What can viruses not be killed by?

  Antibiotics
• What is the first symptom of measles?

  Fever, after three days, the patient develops a red skin rash.
• How is measles spread?

  It is a virus spread by droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, The virus passes to a different person when these droplets are inhaled.
• What are some of the complications with measles?

  It can cause damage to the breathing system and the brain. In severe cases it can be fatal. Because of this children are vaccinated against measles when they are very young.
• What is the first symptom of HIV?

  Flu-like illness, this disappears after one or two weeks. At this point the virus is attacking the cells of the patients immune system. Overtime the immune system becomes severely damaged, so damaged that it cannot fight off other infections. The damaged immune system is also unable to fight off cancer cells, when it reaches this stage patients can easily contract other infections such as TB and may also develop cancer. At this point the person is described as having late stage HIV or AIDS. At this stage the disease is fatal
• How are people treated who have HIV?

  Antiretroviral drugs which stop the virus from multiplying inside the patient meaning it doesn't damage the immune system. Patients who take these drugs do not go on to develop AIDS and have a normal life expectancy. These drugs are not a cure for HIV or AIDS and the patient must take these for the rest of their life.
• How is HIV transmitted?

  Through the exchange of fluids between humans. It can be spread by unprotected sexual intercourse or when drug users share infected needles because blood containing HIV can pass in the needle from one person to another.