S.I.D.A. is an
abbreviation for "Syndrome Acquired Immune Deficiency." That is to
say that this disease is characterized by the destruction of the immune defense
system. "Acquired" because they say it is contagious.
This is a fatal
disease in the present state of our knowledge, contagious, caused by a virus
called a retrovirus that has the ability to destroy the T4 cells that are part
of the white blood cells responsible for defending the body. Therefore, the
body is no longer able to defend themselves against mombreuses infectious diseases
in particular (such diseases are called "opportunistic").
The virus is
transmitted through sexual contact, injection of contaminated blood and from
mother to fetus.
In the present
state of our knowledge, two distinct viruses are able to infect humans: HIV-1
and HIV-2 (also known as HIV-1 and HIV-2).