HIV

This lesson compares two human viral diseases—measles and HIV infection—with a plant viral disease, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).

HIV is a virus that infects certain lymphocytes and uses the cells to make more virus. As HIV destroys these cells, the body has fewer lymphocytes and its defences against other infections become weaker.

Two important examples are HIV interacting with tuberculosis and HPV interacting with cervical cancer.

For example, Salmonella bacteria cause Salmonella food poisoning, while HIV is the virus that may eventually cause the condition AIDS.