DELHI SCHOLARS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

2023-24
BIOLOGY INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT

TOPIC: AIDS
SUBMITTED TO:
CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY
EDUCATION

GUIDED BY; MADE BY

MRS ISHA GUPTA CHHAVI
 CERTIFICATE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THIS PROJECT
IS SUBMITTED BY CHHAVI , XII , DELHI
SCHOLARS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL .
THIS PROJECT IS CARRIED OUT BY HER
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF
MRS ISHA GUPTA
DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2023-
2024

PRINCIPAL SUB TEACHER

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY
THANKS OF GRATITUDE TO MY
TEACHER MRS ISHA GUPTA WHO
GAVE ME THE WONDERFUL
OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS
WONDERFUL PROJECT ON THE
TOPIC ‘AIDS’ WHICH HELPED ME IN
DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH.
I AM REALLY THANKFUL TO HER.
SECONDLY I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO
THANKS MY PARENTS AND FRIENDS
WHO HELPED ME A LOT IN
FINISHING THIS PROJECT WITHIN
THE LIMITED TIME.
I AM MAKING THIS PROJECT NOT
ONLY FOR MARKS,BUT ALSO TO
INCREASE MY KNOWLEDGE.
THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO
HELPED ME.
 PREFACE

MY PROJECT PROVIDES COMPLETE

INFORMATION ON THE TOPIC ‘AIDS’
AND MAXIMUM EFFORT HAVE BEEN
TAKEN TO MAKE THE PROJECT
MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND EASY
TO UNDERSTAND.
 CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
• CAUSES OF AIDS
• INTRODUCTION OF AIDS VIRUS
• SCREENING TEST OF AIDS
• MANIFESTATION OF AIDS
• TREATMENT
• PREVENTION FROM AIDS
• CONCLUSION
• OBSERVATION
• HYPOTHESIS
 INTRODUCTION
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and
acquired immune deficiency syndrome
HIV/AIDS is a spectrum of conditions caused by
infection human immunodeficiency virus. Following
initial infection, a person may not notice any symptoms
or may experience a brief period of influenza like
illness. Typically, this is followed by a
prolonged period with no symptoms. As the infection
progresses, it interferes more with the immune system,
increasing the risk of common infections like
tuberculosis ,as well also the other opportunistic
infections, and tumors that rarely affect people who
have working immune systems. These late symptoms of
infection are referred to as AIDS. This stage is often
also associated with weight loss. HIV is spread
primarily by (including anal and oral sex), contaminated
blood transfusion, hypodermic needle and from mother
to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.
Some bodily fluids, such as saliva and tears, do
not transmit HIV. Methods of prevention include safe
sex, needle exchange programs, treating whose who are
infected, and male circumcision Disease in a baby can
often be prevented by giving both the mother and child
antiretroviral meditation. There is no cure or vaccine;
however, antiretroviral treatment can slow the course
of the disease and may lead to a near-normal life
expectancy. Treatment is recommended as soon as the
diagnosis is made. Without treatment, the average
survival time after infection is 11 years.
 SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Acute infection
The initial period following the contraction of HIV is called
acute HIV, primary HIV or acute retroviral syndrome. Many
individuals develop an influenza like illness or amono-
nucleosis like illness 2–4 weeks post exposure while others
have no significant symptoms. Symptoms occur in 40– 90%
of cases and most commonly include fever , large tendor
lymph nodes ,throat inflammation , a rash, headache, and/or
sores of the mouth and genitals. The rash, which occurs in 20–
50% of cases, presents itself on the trunk and is
maculopapular , classically. Some people also develop
opportunistic infection at this stage. Gastrointestinal
symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or Diarrhea may occur,
as may neurological symptoms of peripheral neuropathy or
Guillian -Barre Syndrome . The duration of the symptoms
varies, but is usually one or two weeks.
Due to their non -specific character, these symptoms are not
often recognised is signs of HIV infection. Even cases that do
get seen by a family doctor or a hospital are often
misdiagnosed as one of the many common infectious diseases
with overlapping symptoms. Thus, it is recommended that
HIV be considered in people presenting an unexplained fever
who may have risk factors for the infection.

Clinical latency
The initial symptoms are followed by a stage called clinical
latency, asymptomatic HIV, or chronic HIV.
Without treatment, this second stage of the natural history of
HIV infection can last from about three years to over20 years
(on average, about eight years). While typically there are few
or no symptoms at first, near the end of this stage many
people experience fever, weight loss, gastrointestinal
problems and muscle pains. Between 50 and 70%of people
also develop persistent generalized lymphadenopathy
characterized by unexplained, non- painful enlargement of
more than one group of lymph nodes [other than in the groin]
for over three to six months.
 Causes of AIDS
The main causes of AIDS is a disorder of cell mediated
immune system of the body. The disorder is
characterized by a reduction in the number of helper.T-
cell which stimulate antibody production by B-cells.
This result in the loss of natural defense against viral
infection.
HIV is a retrovirus that infects the vital organs of the
human immune system .The virus progresses in the
absence of antiretroviral therapy. The rate
of virus progression varies widely between individuals
and depends on many factors(age of the patient, body's
ability to defend against HIV, access to health care,
existence of coexisting infections, the infected
person's genetic inheritance, resistance to certain strains
of HIV.

HIV CAN BE TRANSMITTED BY -

• Sexual transmission
. It
can happen when there is contact with infected sexual
secretions (rectal, genital or oral mucous membranes). This
can happen while having unprotected sex, including vaginal,
oral and anal sex or sharing sex toys with someone infected
with HIV.

• Perinatal transmission
. Themother can pass the infection on to her child during
childbirth, pregnancy, and also through breastfeeding.

• Blood transmission
. The risk of transmitting HIV through blood transfusion is
nowadays extremely low in developed countries, thanks to
meticulous screening and precautions. Among drug users,
sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV-infected
blood is extremely hazardous.

Thanks to strict protection procedures the

risk of accidental infection for healthcare
workers is low.
Individuals who give and receive tattoos
and piercings are also at risk and should
be careful .
 INTRODUCTION OF AIDS
VIRUS

It is 100 to 140 nm. in diameter and has a cylindrical core. It

is found in blood and semen and to a lesser extent in milk
tears and saliva. It is a retrovirus, i.e. its genetic material is -
RNA (single stranded linear) which can make a DNA copy of
itself with the help of the reverse transcriptase enzyme. The
virus bind specifically to a surface receptor on a helper T-cell
and introduce its RNA and reverse transcriptase enzyme into
the cells here it multiplies and the release of new virus
destroys the cell. AIDS occurs when the helper T-cell falls too
low to fight the disease.
 SCREENING TEST OF
AIDS
AIDS patient generally have circulated antibodies which can
be detected. In many countries. this test is done as a routine on
the blood, donor, screening may harmful to victims. Person
found to be HIV positive are found to be depressed and
suicidal and are denied insurance, evicted from their homes
and fired from their jobs only a small minority of such person
are likely to develop full brown AIDS. However, the infected
person may spread infection to others.

Today ‘ELISA’ test is done to identify this

pandemic disease [AIDS].
 MANIFESTATION OF
AIDS
Manifestation :-
It can manifest in two major ways –

I)Maligent tumours in connective tissue

ii) Viral, bacterial, protozoan and fungal infection of any

system of the body. There are destruction of WBC’S ,damage
to brain, unexplained fever, unexplained loss of appetite
,unexplained loss weight over a short time , chronic diarrhea ,
cough, night sweats, enlargenment of sweat glands, shortness
of breath, weakness .

AIDS TREATMENT-
Medical treatment of AIDS consists of;

i) Antiviral therapy against the causative agent

ii) Immuno simulative therapy to increase the number of

resistance – providing cells in the body or both. However no
specific treatment has been found so far and the mortality from
the AIDS is virtually 100%. A victim of full blown AIDS dies
with in 3 years from the infection of many drugs tried ,
azithmidine transmitted by blood sucking insects such as
mosquitoes, AIDS virus has been found in urine, tears saliva,
breast milk and vaginal secretions ,but it seems not to be
transmitted by these fluids unless it gets a cut.
 TREATMENT
HIV can be diagnosed through blood or saliva testing.
Available tests include:
• Antigen/antibody tests. These tests usually involve
drawing blood from a vein. Antigens are substances
on the HIV virus itself and are usually detectable — a
positive test — in the blood within a few weeks after
exposure to HIV.
Antibodies are produced by your immune system
when it's exposed to HIV. It can take weeks to
months for antibodies to become detectable. The
combination antigen/antibody tests can take 2 to 6
weeks after exposure to become positive.
• Antibody tests. These tests look for antibodies
to HIV in blood or saliva. Most rapid HIV tests,
including self-tests done at home, are antibody tests.
Antibody tests can take 3 to 12 weeks after you're
exposed to become positive.
• Nucleic acid tests (NATs). These tests look for the
actual virus in your blood (viral load). They also
involve blood drawn from a vein. If you might have
been exposed to HIV within the past few weeks, your
 health care provider may
recommend NAT. NAT will be the first test to
become positive after exposure to HIV.

The most effective treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy

(ART). This is a combination of several medicines that aims
to control the amount of virus in your body. Antiretroviral
medicines slow the rate at which the virus grows. Taking
these medicines can reduce the amount of virus in your body
and help you stay healthy.
It's important to take medicines exactly as doctor tells .
When treatment doesn't work, it is often because HIV has
become resistant to the medicine. This can happen if we don't
take our medicines correctly.
Other steps we can take include the following:
• Keep your immune system strong by eating right,
quitting smoking, and learning how to avoid infection.
• Monitor your CD4+ (white blood cells) counts to
check the effect of the virus on your immune system.
• See a counselor to help you handle the strong
emotions and stress that can follow an HIV diagnosis.
• Reduce stress so that you can better manage the
HIV illness.
 PREVENTION
FROM AIDS
SEXUAL INTERCOURSE-
Consistent condom use reduces the risk of HIV transmission
by approximately80% over the long term. When condoms
are used consistently by a couple in which one person is
infected, the rate of HIV infection is less than 1% per year.
There is some evidence to suggest that female condoms may
provide an equivalent level of protection.
Application of a vaginal gel containing tenofevor (a reverse
transcriptase inhibitor) immediately before sex seems to
reduce infection rates by approximately 40% among African
women.

By contrast, use of the spermicide nonoxynol-9 may

increase the risk of transmission due to its tendency to
cause vaginal and rectal irritation. Circumcision in sub
Saharan Africa "reduces the acquisition of HIV by
heterosexual men by between 38% and 66% over 24 months".
Due to these studies, both the WORLD HEALTH
ORGANISATION andUNAIDS recommended male
circumcision as a method of preventing female-to-male HIV
transmission in2007 in areas with a high rates of HIV.
However, whether it protects against male-to-female
transmission is disputed, and whether it is of benefit in
developed countries and among men who have sex with
men is undetermined. The International Antiviral Society,
however, does recommend for all sexually active heterosexual
males and that it be discussed as an option with men who
have sex with men. Some experts fear that a lower perception
of vulnerability among circumcised men may cause
more sexual risk-taking behaviour, thus negating its
preventive effects. Programs encouraging sexual abstinence
do not appear to affect subsequent HIV risk.
Evidence of any benefit from peer education is equally poor.
Comprehensive school education provided at school may
decrease high risk behaviour. A substantial minority of young
people continues to engage in high-risk practices despite
knowing about HIV/AIDS, underestimating their own risk
of becoming infected with HIV. Voluntary counselling
and testing people for HIV does not affect risky behaviour in
those who test negative but does increase condom use in those
who test positive. It is not known whether treating other
sexually transmitted infections is effective in preventing HIV.
 CONCLUSION
After studying the causes and effects of AIDS
from different views ,we conclude that it is a
pandemic disease .It is mainly spread sexually and
person of the age group of the age group 25-45
years are the most affected group. There are some
methods like ‘Antiviral Therapy’ and ‘Immune
Stimulative Therapy’ which brings some hope that
even then no specific treatment has been found so
far and mortality form are virtually 100 % . So
only prevention is the test medicine care.
 OBSERVATION
AIDS immersed as pandemic disease. It is non
durable. It is more common in developing
countries. Now every day 1000 peoples are going
to become HIV infected in world. This is mainly
due to blood transfusion& Sexual contact. In
whole world about 3 crore 30 lakhs people are
HIV +ve & in India 3 lakh 70thousands are HIV
+ve. The number of HIV +ve persons are higher in
Tamil Nadu, Bombay, Calcutta and Kerala
and Manipur.
 HYPOTHESIS
AIDS is non curable due to its nature of
pathogen. It also damage immune system
of the body. Therefore any medicine
(Antiviral) drugs are not effective against
HIV virus. Ignorance and lack
of knowledge about this disease is the root
cause of wide spread of this disease.
 BIBLOGRAPHY
The following books were used for the above
project –
• Ncert textbook biology class XII
• Biology lab manual class 12
• Ncert textbook class XI
Also ,the following website were
consulted for the relevant information –
• www.wikipedia.org
• www.google.com
• www.icbse.com
• www.yahoo.com