A 27-yr old man with a history of drug abuse is admitted into the hospital with

Question

A 27-yr old man with a history of drug abuse is admitted into the hospital with abdominal pain and severe jaundice. A test of his liver function reveals that his liver is severely damaged. The doctors determine that he likely acquired the agent of his distress through shared needle use, as the man has needle-tracks on both his arms and admits that he is a habitual user. The doctors treat his symptoms but tell the man that he will never be cured of the disease and that he has a greater chance of developing liver cancer in the future, now that he has acquired this chronic infection. The doctor further comments that the man could have prevented this disease with a vaccine. What virus does the man have? The doctors, surprised by the severity of the man’s infection went back and performed another ELISA. As a result of this test, they detected a second agent that seemed to be working with the first agent to exacerbate the man’s symptoms. The doctors then worry that the man is likely to die soon. What is the second agent?

Explanation / Answer

1. The man surely is affected by hepatitis C virus. A hepatitis C virus is an inflammation of the liver due to hepatitis C virus which is transmitted in infected blood and on later stage can cause cancer of liver.

2. In the second agent after the ELISA test the man is affected with HIV (Human Immuno virus) as the man has history of using needle there is most likely he must have acquired from the needle and which must have advanced to the stage i.e. AIDS (Acquired immuno deficiency syndrome).

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