Opportunistic infections are diseases that occur due to a decrease in immunity and overall body resistance. In healthy people, they do not occur, since the body is able to cope with many infectious agents.
Opportunistic infections often accompany a disease such as Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It should be noted that AIDS itself is not the cause of death, namely the accession of such infections.
Opportunistic infection can occur not only in HIV-positive people, but also in people with sharply weakened immunity. For example, chemotherapy for various forms of cancer can also significantly weaken the protective functions of the body.
Opportunistic HIV infections are caused by a variety of viruses, bacteria, or protozoa. However, a particularly serious danger is the development of fungal infections, most often caused by candida (candidiasis) and aspergillus (aspergillosis).
Opportunistic infections include herpes, candidiasis, human papillomavirus, cryptococcosis, isopssoriasis, malaria, cryptosporidiosis, lymphoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, pneumocystis pneumonia, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, tuberculosis. Consider the most common of them.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common infection, the development of which is caused by viruses, combined under the name "human papillomavirus". HPV transmission during sexual intercourse is fairly easy. The virus causes the development of genital warts, some types of this virus cause cervical cancer. There are no medicines for HPV at the present stage, there are only various methods for removing warts, treatment of dysplastic processes of the cervix and anus, which are caused by HPV.
Candidiasis is often localized in the oral cavity, larynx, lungs and / or vagina. This disease often occurs due to the fact that fungi make up the natural microflora of the human body, and when immunity decreases, they become more active and cause candidiasis. It is treated with antifungal drugs, but relapses often occur.
Cryptococcal meningitis develops when there are CD4 cells below 50. The agent that causes it is the fungus Cryptococcus, which enters the human body through inhalation of dust. Many are exposed to this effect, but a healthy body copes - and the disease does not develop. This type of meningitis is not transmitted from person to person.
Pneumocystis pneumonia develops when the microorganism Pneumocystis carinii, which lives in the environment everywhere, enters. Propagation occurs by air. The occurrence of pneumocystis pneumonia occurs in the presence of an immune status in a patient below 200 cells / ml. Prevention and treatment are successful with this pathology, however, in the absence of therapy in the proper amount, a fatal outcome is possible.
Herpes simplex causes the Herpes simplex virus: sores on the lips form, and they can also appear on the genitals or anus. In HIV-positive, such rashes are much more common and more pronounced. Existing anti-herpes drugs relieve and prevent its manifestations, but do not completely cure them, as the virus remains in the nervous tissue.
Transmission of toxoplasmosis occurs when eating half-baked meat or from contact with cats. This disease is not transmitted through people and does not develop in the presence of a healthy immune system.
Opportunistic infections must be treated with modern antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral drugs, sometimes over a very long period.