December 1 is recalled as the World AIDS Day. It is a method to educate the people about AIDS so that we can concentrate on the fight against AIDS and have the future planning to fight against it and find a solid solution to delete it from our planet earth.

What is AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)? It is a disorder of cell mediated immune system of the body. There is a reduction in the number of cells called helper T-cells which stimulate antibody production by B-cells. This result in the loss of natural defense against viral infection.

AIDS-Related Complex (ARC) It is a mild form of AIDS. Its symptoms are swollen lymph nodes, fever, sweating at night and weight loss. Patients with ARC have a high possibility of early development of AIDS. ARC is also known as a predromal AIDS.

Discovery of AIDS

AIDS was first noticed in USA in h-o-m-o-s-e-x-u-a-l-s in 1981. Virus of AIDS was isolated and identified by Prof. Luc Montagnier in France in 1983 and almost the same time by Prof. Robert Gallo in USA. AIDS infections were detected in India for the first time in prostitutes of Chennai in 1986.

The AIDS virus may have passed from a monkey host into human population in Africa during 1960s.

Pathogen (Causative Agent)

The virus was identified and named as HCLV III (Human cell leukemia Virus III), but now the name of the virus is changed to HIV (Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus). Structure of AIDS virus: it consist of glycoprotein cost, double layer of lipid membranes and two protein coats. It contains RNA and reverse transcriptase enzyme.

Incubation Period

The incubation period of HIV is between 15-27 months. Average incubation period is 28 months.

Diagnosis:

AIDS can be diagnosed by ELISA test and WESTERN BLOT test (year 2004).

Treatment: No specific treatments of AIDS have been found so far (year 2004) and the mortality from AIDS is 100%. Still two treatments are tried:

Antiviral therapy-against pathogen (HIV) Immuno-stimulative therapy to increase the number of resistance-providing cells in the body. A drug named Zidovudine prolongs the life of AIDS patients.

Reason for AIDS

AIDS virus is transmitted only via:

Blood Semen



Therefore the main causes for AIDS are the following:

Transmission of infected blood or blood products.

Use of contaminated needles and syringes to inject drugs or vaccines.

Use of contaminated razors.

Use of contaminated needles.

Having s-e-x with an infected partner without a c-o-n-d-o-m.

Parturition from mother to baby due to rupturing of blood vessels.

Artificial insemination.

Organ transplant.



Precaution against AIDS

At present we don’t have a perfect treatment to cure AIDS because no vaccine has been prepared so far against AIDS virus but a lot of precautions have been suggested. Following are the most important measures that may help in preventing the AIDS.

Use c-o-n-do-m while having s-e-x with such a partner about whom your knowledge is limited. Best is you should not maintain s-e-x-u-a-l relations with more than one partner. And a message to boys (men), have respect for girls (women), have s-e-x you’re your beloved/wife only don’t use them as s-e-x gadget.

Pay attention while donating blood for any purpose, Disposable needles and syringes should be used. Used needles and syringes must be destroyed.

Use your own blade and shaving razor and don’t share it with anyone, anyone means not even your family members.

Pay attention while taking treatment from a doctor, for example dentist should use sterilized equipments.

Take all precautionary First Aid measures while treating a wound or injuries i.e. wear hand gloves to prevent a direct contact with blood of the patient.



Myths about AIDS, it cannot be acquired by the following:

AIDS does not spread through air, water and normal physical contact.

It does not spread through insect bites like mosquito bites.

It does not spread through k-i-s-s-i-n-g, shaking hands, coughing and sneezing.

It does not spread through sharing towels, utilities, telephone, swimming pools and toilets.

If a husband or wife is suffering from AIDS then it is not necessary that its partner too have the disease.

It is not necessary that a mother suffering from AIDS will always give birth to a child suffering from AIDS, new born babies can be protected by giving proper treatment.



Our Social Duties

AIDS cannot be removed from the earth unless we understand our social duties. To fight against AIDS we should perform these duties:

A person suffering from AIDS should not maintain s-e-x-u-a-l relations with anyone.

A person suffering from AIDS should take proper medical treatment when get injured and prevent any one to come in direct contact with the HIV infected blood.

We should not hate the AIDS patients instead increase their moral to a normal social life.

We should follow the necessary medical precautions listed above to live along the HIV infected person.

We should educate the people about AIDS like this or any other means.



AIDS reference centers in India

In India, four reference centers have been established (2004)

AIIMS, New Delhi

National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi

National Institute of Virology, Pune

Centre for Advanced Research on Virology, CMC, Vollore.



“HATE AIDS NOT THE PATIENT”

 

Seychelles officially the Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago nation of one hundred and fifty eight islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar. Other nearby island countries and territories include Zanzibar to the west, Mauritius and Reunion to the south, Comoros and Mayotte to the southwest and the Suva dives of the Maldives to the northeast. Seychelles has the smallest population of any sovereign state of Africa.

The first recorded sighting of the Seychelles was by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama at the beginning of the 16th century. In 1756, French planters claimed Mahe and seven other islands for France. The islands, until then known as the Amirantes, were renamed in honour of the French kings accountant, Vicomte Moreau de Seychelles. The Seychelles, annexed by Britain in 1794, were placed under the administration of Mauritius. Over the course of the 19th century, administration was handled by old India hands men and women with some experience of the tropics.

For the next one hundred years, isolated from the rest of the world and all but ignored by the major European powers, the Seychelles developed their own traditions, language and culture. The islands became a Crown Colony in 1903. Internal self government was granted in 1975 and independence a year later. Despite several coup attempts, multi party democracy was restored in the Seychelles in 1991 under pressure from the countrys main aid donors, particularly France and Britain.

The economy of this isolated island paradise relies heavily on tourism. Fine beaches, turquoise seas and warm weather are among the main draws for visitors. As a result of their extraordinary, isolated history, the Seychelles are also rich in rare plants which flourish nowhere else on the planet. Eight species are unique survivors from the luxuriant tropical forests that covered the islands until humanities belated arrival two centuries ago. Outstanding amongst these is the sea coconut, native to Praslin, which grows in the Vallee de Mai. Its seed is the largest in nature, and gave rise to many legends when it was washed ashore on the coasts of Africa, India and Indonesia. Since the islands were unknown, the nuts were thought to have grown under the sea, hence the name.

The Seychelles are also a major attraction for birdwatchers. Millions of terns nest on the islands, among them that most beautiful of seabirds, the fairy tern. Up to two million sooty terns nest on Bird Island, and on Aride can be found the worlds largest colonies of lesser noddies, roseate terns and other tropical birds. It was only some thirty years ago that active conservation of endangered species began in the Seychelles. Since then, with the establishment of island sanctuaries and nature reserves, much has been done to make the Seychelles a paradise for birds and for those who love to watch them.

The Persian Cat is one of the oldest breeds of cat. In Britain, it is called the Longhair or Persian Longhair . A Persian without an established and registered pedigree is classed as a domestic longhair cat.

Persian Cat Origin

As their name suggests, Persians originate from Persia, now known as Iran, in the Middle East. Persian cat is one of the most popular breeds in the world, and one of the oldest.

Iranian domestic cats experts believe that today’s domestic cat is the descendent of Felis libyca, a cat that is still found in Africa and Asia. It’s not clear when longhair cats (in general) first appeared, as there are no African Wildcats (believed to be ancestors of domesticated cats) with that kind of fur. There have been claims that the gene responsible for long hair was introduced through hybridization with Pallas cat . Recent research however refutes this theory

The Persian cat was once traded for goods and valued for its beauty and temperament, aiding the beautiful, longhaired cat’s journey across the world. The cats were introduced into Europe by the Phoenicians and Romans in the 1500s as highly valued items of trade.

The first documented ancestors of the Persian were imported from Persia into Italy in 1620 by Pietro della Valle, and from Turkey into France by Nicholas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc at around the same time. From France they soon reached Britain.

The Europeans were impressed by the Persian’s long silky coat and purposefully bred the cats to perpetuate the trait. The longhaired cats from Persia were interbred with Turkish Angoras. Their appearance then differed greatly from today’s standard. Hundreds of years of selective breeding made Persians cobbier cats with drastically shorter muzzle.

The Persian was first registered with the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) in 1871 when the association first kept records.

By the 1900s the cats were being exported to the United States and since then their popularity has spread throughout the world.

Persian Cat Appearence

The most common characteristics of the Persian cat are:

*Long, soft hair

*Strong, cobby build

*Large, expressive eyes

*Chubby cheeks

*High nose, which creates the “smushy” face type

*Low, rounded ears

*Wide, round head

A show-quality Persian has an extremely long thick coat, short legs, a wide head with the ears set far apart, large eyes, and an extremely foreshortened muzzle. Their eyes are often gooey, and the owner should clean their eyes at least once every day. The breed was originally established with a short (but not non-existent) muzzle, but over time this feature has become extremely exaggerated, particularly in North America, and Persians with the more extreme brachycephalic head type are susceptible to a number of health problems (specifically affecting their sinuses and breathing) caused by it. Their short muzzle also causes them to have dust and debris cover the inside of their nostrils more often, which makes it very difficult for them to breathe.

Photographic records indicate that Persians, up until the 1960s, show a difference in appearance to cats of the early 1980s onwards (i.e., from the Traditional “doll face” to the “extreme”, “ultra”, “flat-faced” or “snubby” face of today). However, the Persian Breed Council’s standard for the Persian had remained basically unchanged over this period. The Persian Breed Standard is by its nature somewhat open ended and focused on a rounded head.

It is generally accepted (and by the Breed Council) that through selective breeding, in an attempt to develop the ideal Persian appearance, the Ultra Face came about. This has been called ultra-typing. The Persian Breed Council’s standard was changed during the late 1980s to limit the development of the extreme appearance. In 2007 the Persian Breed Standard was altered to reflect the flat face and it now states that the forehead, nose, and chin should be in vertical alignment.

Conscientious breeders take into account and minimize health issues by careful choice of breeding stock with more moderate head type, as the stated goal of most breeders is first and always healthy cats.

Persian Cat Colors and Coats

The Persian has an extremely long thick coat. Since Persian cats have long, thick dense fur that they cannot keep clean themselves, they need daily grooming. To keep their fur in its best condition, they must be bathed regularly, dried carefully afterwards, and brushed thoroughly every day.

Persian cats can have any color or markings including pointed, golden, tortoiseshell, blue, and tabby. Tipped varieties are known as Chinchilla. Point varieties are called Himalayan in the United States and Colorpoint Persian in Europe.

In the USA, there was an attempt to establish the Silver Persian as a separate breed called the Sterling, but it was not accepted and Silver and Golden longhaired cats, recognized by CFA more specially as Chinchilla Silvers, Shaded Silvers, Chinchilla Goldens or Shaded Goldens are judged in the Persian category of cat shows . In South Africa , the attempt to separate the breed was more successful: the SA Cat Council (SACC) registers cats with 5 generations of pure bred Chinchilla as a Chinchilla Longhair.

The Persian Cat Temperament

These beautiful cats have a sweet, gentle personality, with a quite melodious voice. They make wonderful family pets because they adapt so easily to their environment. The Persians are tremendously responsive and communicate with their large expressive eyes. Their cobby body style keeps them from high jumping (usually). This breed is the most calm and docile of all cat breeds but is also loving and affectionate. Playful but not demandingly so, and although not shy, they do tend to be undemonstrative. Their gentle temperament allows then to adjust to new environments with ease, making them ideal show cats. Persians tend to be accepting of other animals in the family.