If the
body's immune system attacks and kills viruses, what's the problem?
Different viruses attack different parts of the body - some may
attack the skin, others the lungs, and so on. The common cold is
also caused by a virus. HIV is not just harmful, it is deadly &
dangerous because it attacks the immune system itself, the whole lot
that normally gets rid of a virus. It particularly attacks a special
type of immune-system cell - without which, the immune system's
ability to fight off the virus gets weakened, thus, spreading HIV
throughout the body.
This
entire process is invisible, and there is not other way to let know,
just by looking at someone, whether that person is infected by HIV
or not, but for a blood test that can detect the presence of this
virus in the blood, from about three months after the occurrence of
this infection for the very first time. People infected with HIV may
look & feel perfectly healthy and it is likely that they may not
even know that they are infected. Gradually, the person's immune
system weakens with the passage of time and they become increasingly
vulnerable to diseases & illnesses, many of which could normally
fight off easily otherwise.
