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The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimate that about 1 in every 8 HIV-positive Americans is unaware of their HIV-status.

HIV blood tests and results

Diagnosis is made through a blood test that screens specifically for the virus. If the HIV virus has been found, the test result is "positive." The blood is re-tested several times before a positive result is given to the patient.

If a person has been exposed to the virus, it is crucial that they get tested as soon as possible. The earlier HIV is detected, the more likely the treatment will be successful. A home testing kit can be used as well.

After infection with HIV, it can take from 3 weeks to 6 months for the virus to show up in testing. Re-testing may be necessary. If the moment a patient was most at risk of infection was within the last 6 months, they can have the test immediately. However, the provider will urge that another test be carried out within a few weeks.

HIV is a retrovirus that infects the vital organs and cells of the human immune system. The virus progresses in the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART) - a drug therapy that slows or prevents the growth of new HIV viruses.

The rate of virus progression varies widely between individuals and depends on many factors. These factors include;

1. The age of the patient,

2. The body's ability to defend against HIV

3. The access to healthcare

4. The existence of other infections

5. The infected person's genetic inheritance

6. Resistance to certain strains of HIV and more.

For the most part, the symptoms of HIV are the result of infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and/or parasites.

These conditions do not normally develop in individuals with healthy immune systems, which protect the body against infection.

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a syndrome caused by a virus called HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). The disease alters the immune system, making people much more vulnerable to infections and diseases. HIV is found throughout all the tissues of the body but is transmitted via the body fluids of an infected person (semen, vaginal fluids, blood, and breast milk). This susceptibility worsens as the syndrome progresses.

HIV and AIDS: What are they?

HIV is the virus, which attacks the T-cells (CD-4 cells) in the immune system. AIDS is the syndrome, which appears in the advanced stage of HIV infection.

· HIV is a virus.

· AIDS is a medical condition.

HIV infection can cause AIDS to develop. However, it is possible to be infected with HIV without developing AIDS. Without treatment, the HIV infection can progress and, eventually, it will develop into AIDS in the clear majority of cases. Once someone has received an AIDS diagnosis, it will always carry over with them in their medical history.

Proper sanitation is the key to avoiding amebiasis. Follow this when preparing and eating food:

Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating.Avoid eating fruits or vegetables unless you wash and peel them yourself.Stick to bottled water and soft drinks.If you must drink water, boil it or treat it with iodine.Avoid ice cubes or fountain drinks.Avoid milk, cheese, or other unpasteurized dairy products.Avoid food sold by street vendors.

As a general rule, thoroughly wash hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before handling food.

Treatment for uncomplicated cases of amebiasis generally consists of a 10-day course of antibiotics given by mouth. It can also be treated with nitroimidazole drugs, which kill amoebas in the blood, in the wall of the intestine and in liver abscesses. These drugs include metronidazole (Flagyl) and tinidazole (Tindamax, Fasigyn). Metronidazole usually is given for 10 days, either by mouth or directly into the veins (intravenously). To kill amoebas and cysts confined to the intestine, three drugs called luminal drugs are available: iodoquinol(Diquinol and others), paromomycin (Humatin) and diloxanide furoate (Furamide). One of these drugs is used along with metronidazole when gastrointestinal symptoms are present. In people who pass amoebas in their stools without having symptoms of amebiasis, the luminal drugs alone can clear the amoebas from the bowel.

If the parasite is present in your intestinal tissues, the treatment must address not only the organism but also any damage to your infected organs. Surgery may be necessary if the colon or peritoneal tissues have perforations.

A doctor may suspect amebiasis after asking about your recent health and travel history. Your doctor may test you for the presence of E. histolytica, which may require you to give stool samples over several days to screen for the presence of cysts. Your doctor may order lab tests to check liver function, which can help determine if the ameba has damaged your liver.

If damage to your internal organs is a concern, your doctor will probably order an ultrasound or CT scan to check for lesions on your liver. If lesions appear, your doctor may need to perform a needle aspiration to see if the liver has any abscesses. An abscess in the liver is a serious consequence of amebiasis.

Finally, a colonoscopy may be necessary to check for the presence of the parasite in your intestinal or colon tissue.

The very few people who become infected with brain-eating amoebas usually die because the infection and inflammation caused by the organisms are difficult to diagnose and treat, Symptoms appear two to 15 days after a person has been exposed to the amoeba, and are nonspecific; doctors often have trouble finding the cause of a person's symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms usually include nausea and a general ill feeling, and progressive impairment of thinking and activities, which eventually lead to coma. Some other symptoms of this infection include the following;

· A change in sense of smell or taste

· Sensitivity to light

· Loss of balance

· Vomiting

· Confusion

· Sleepiness

· Sudden, severe headache

· Seizures

· Hallucinations

· Fever

· Stiff neck

However, more often than not, these symptoms are caused by other conditions.

E. histolytica is a single-celled protozoan that usually enters the human body when a person ingests cysts through food or water. It can also enter the body through direct contact with fecal matter. The cysts are a relatively inactive form of the parasite that can live for several months in the soil or environment where they were deposited in feces. The microscopic cysts are present in soil, fertilizer, or water that’s been contaminated with infected feces. Food handlers may transmit the cysts while preparing or handling food. Transmission is also possible during anal sex or colonic irrigation.

When cysts enter the body, they lodge in the digestive tract. They then release an invasive form of the parasite called a trophozite. The parasites reproduce in the digestive tract and migrate to the large intestine. There, they can burrow into the intestinal wall or the colon. This causes bloody diarrhea, colitis, and tissue destruction. The infected person can then spread the disease by releasing new cysts into the environment through infected feces.

Once the trophozites have breached the intestinal walls, they can enter the bloodstream and travel to various internal organs. If they invade an internal organ, they can potentially cause:

• abscesses
• infections
• severe illness
• death