The abbreviation ‘HIV’ means Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV/AIDS.
AIDS is caused by a virus, which destroys the immune system of the human body.
The immune system is known as ‘body defence’ and it helps to fight or protect the human body against disease attacks but when the immune system is attacked and destroyed, it makes the human body susceptible to diseases.
This virus when it enters the human body destroys the white blood cells called T. cells. These T. cells or white blood cells are the cells: that makeup Human Immune System, which are responsible for defending the human body from disease attacks.
However, when this virus succeeds in destroying the T. cells, it multiplies itself into millions and destroys the immune system. And when this happens, the blood cannot withstand or fight infection any longer.
The victim now develops symptoms like body weakness, fever, severe skin cancer, rashes, pneumonia, diarrhoea and severe weight loss.
As the infection progresses over a prolonged period, it develops into AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) which destroys the body’s immune system thus making the affected person more susceptible to all manner of infections/illnesses such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, Cancer, severe weight loss etc.