AIDS

AIDS is a lysogenic virus, which is mostly transfered sexually, however can be transfered via other methods such as blood to blood contact. The word lysogenic means that once you have the virus it embed's its genome into your's and you have it forever. AIDS has a really high mortality rate, as there is virtually no way to cure or prevent it. This is because the AIDS virus disguises itself as a T cell (a major immune cell which detects viruses and other intruders) thus it does not get identified as a threat. It disguises itself by draping a part of the T cell membrane onto itself, this also helps it bind to the T cell receptors. Once it has binded to the T cell receptor, the virus penetrates the cell, and the cell's nucleus exposing the DNA. The virus carries a series of enzymes with it, one of which is integrase, this helps the virus embed it's genome into the cell's genome. The cell is not aware of this so it undergoes mitosis (reproduction) and produces millions of baby viruses which bud out of the cell taking parts of the membrane with them for cover. And the cycle goes on. However theoretically AIDS is not what kills the patient other diseases such as kaposi's sarcoma this occurs because most of the immune cells detecting intruders are invaded by the AIDS virus and can't function. For more information, support, and donations click this link.