AIDS is a collection of symptoms and infections in humans resulting
from the specific damage to the immune system caused by infection with
the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the late stage of which leaves
individuals prone to opportunistic infections and tumours. Although
treatments for AIDS and HIV exist that slow the virus' progression,
there is no known cure. HIV is transmitted through direct contact of a
mucous membrane or the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV,
such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid and breast milk.
This transmission can come in the form of: (anal or vaginal) sex;
blood transfusion; contaminated needles; exchange between mother and
infant during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding; or other
exposure to one of the above bodily fluids. Most researchers believe
that HIV originated in sub-Saharan Africa during the twentieth
century; it is now a pandemic, with more than 40 million people now
living with the disease worldwide.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1215:
King John of England put his seal to the Magna Carta.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta)
1389:
In the Battle of Kosovo, Turks defeated Serbs and Bosnians.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kosovo)
1752:
Benjamin Franklin conducted an experiment to prove that lightning is
electricity by flying a kite in a thunderstorm.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin)
1904:
The General Slocum burned in New York's East River, killing over 1,000
people.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Slocum)
1954:
The Union of European Football Associations was founded in Basel,
Switzerland.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA)
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Wikiquote of the day:
"Responsibility's like a string we can only see the middle of. Both
ends are out of sight." -- William McFee
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_McFee)