Will HIV and AIDS as the Black Death of the Twenty-First Century :: Papers

Will HIV and AIDS as the Black Death of the Twenty-First Century According to an article on BBC World Service, published on 25th October, 2001, the Black Death claimed 25 million lives in Europe and Asia between the 13th and 17th century. Now nearly 400 years later the British Medical Journal reports an estimated 65 million deaths from AIDS by the end of the decade. Obviously these figures are rough estimates, however they illustrate the severity of the Bubonic Plague and the impending severity of an AIDS epidemic. These figures themselves lead me to believe that in fact AIDS is already the modern day Black Death and whether anyone will be here in another 400 years to compare AIDS to the Black Death is yet to be seen. The Bubonic Plague or 'Black Death' as it is more commonly known swept through Europe and Asia mainly in the 14th century. The Bubonic Plague is caused by the bacterium Yerina Pestis and is transmitted to humans by infected fleas on rats. In most common cases victims suffer from fevers, chills, fatigue and painfully swollen lymph nodes. Another symptom were haemorrhages, which turned black, this is why it became known as the Black Death. Even though in the time of the Black Death there was no medical shield to protect against the plague, with today's medical advances there is. This is where the Black Death and AIDS differ. AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a clinical syndrome, resulting from damage to the immune system caused by infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In HIV individuals, there is a gradual loss of immune cells and immune function. It generally takes six to ten years from the point of infection to develop AIDS. Even though large drug companies have developed drugs that slow down the progression from HIV to AIDS, none have yet to market any kind of vaccine or cure. There may be more success in finding a cure, so that AIDS will not be looked back upon in years to come as the Black Death of its time if,