Final answer:
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a bloodborne virus that attacks T-helper cells in the immune system, leading to a compromised ability to fight infections. Over time, untreated HIV can progress to AIDS, during which the body becomes vulnerable to a range of opportunistic infections and cancers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bloodborne Virus Attacking White Blood Cells
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a bloodborne virus that primarily attacks the immune system's white blood cells, specifically the T-helper cells. By doing so, HIV progressively weakens the body's ability to fight off infections and diseases. When HIV destroys a significant number of these cells, the immune system becomes severely compromised, leading to the condition known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), where the body can no longer defend itself effectively against opportunistic infections and certain types of cancers. Unlike other hepatitis viruses that target the liver, HIV uniquely targets the immune system, which has widespread effects on the individual's overall health.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a treatment that helps suppress the HIV viral load in the body, prolonging the latency period and decreasing the chances of HIV transmission. However, if left untreated, the gradual destruction of T-helper cells by HIV leads to an almost complete collapse of the immune system, which defines the transition from HIV to AIDS.
These white blood cells, specifically T-helper cells, play a crucial role in the functioning of the immune system. As HIV infects and kills these cells, it weakens the body's ability to fight infections and diseases, leading to a condition called Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).