Infectious disease agents blocked

Ideally, the most effective prevention of HIV infection would be a vaccine that blocks virus infection in individuals. Indeed, effective vaccines have been developed against most human viruses that cause serious diseases. While several different possible vaccines against HIV are under development, there are some theoretical reasons why it may be difficult to develop an effective one. First, HIV has the unique ability to evade the immune system in an infected individual. Briefly, this results from (1) the high mutation rate of the virus, particularly in the env gene (2) the ability of the virus to establish a latent state in some cells and (3) the ability of the virus to spread by cell-to-cell contact. The object of the vaccine is to raise a protective immune response to the infectious agent. Since HIV evades the immune system so efficiently, it may be difficult for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection in an individual, even if it can induce production of neutralizing antibodies or cell-mediated immunity. 

Common definitions of the term disinfection usually aim at its medical aspects related to transmissible diseases and to the killing or irreversible inactivation of the disease-causing organisms by use of chemical agents or physical procedures. This includes the destruction of infectious or other undesirable bacteria, pathogenic fungi or vimses and protozoa on surfaces or any inanimate objects (Block, 1993, Harke, 1987). Thus, disinfection of water, air or surfaces should produce a... 

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