| HIV infected people usually do not have any | | | | T-lymphocytes counts. The virus destroys these |
| symptom at first. Couple month later they may | | | | important cells of immune system.The loss and |
| suffer a flu-like illness. There symptoms are not | | | | deactivation of the immune system eventually leads |
| something extraordinary: fever, headache, fatigue, | | | | to complications. The first signs of infection are |
| swollen lymph nodes especially in the neck and groin. | | | | enlarged lymph nodes (lay people name them glands). |
| Everything looks like any other flu.Then symptoms | | | | This is sign of majority of infections and other |
| go away. However, at this stage the affected people | | | | inflammatory conditions. Other symptoms are also |
| are very infectious. They make a lot of HIV that is | | | | not specific to HIV only. Low energy, weight loss, |
| easily transmitted by genital contacts. That is the | | | | fevers and night sweats are also common for |
| danger for other people. This period of | | | | tuberculosis, rheumatic diseases and many others. |
| "asymptomatic" infection depends on the person. | | | | Later the loss of immunity leads to yeast infections |
| Really severe symptoms sometime occur only a | | | | (inside mouth or vagina), skin rashes, inflammatory |
| decade later. Children born from HIV mothers may | | | | conditions, which do not respond to regular |
| show symptoms earlier. Some people develop the | | | | treatment.Eventually different weird bugs that are |
| symptoms within a few months.During this | | | | easily destroyed by a normal immune system, take |
| asymptomatic period the HIV virus is actively | | | | control over in the HIV infected persons. They cause |
| spreading it he body. The virus kills immune cells. It | | | | unusual infections and tumors. Herpes infections of |
| also hides within infected macrophages and | | | | mouth and genitalia become frequent guests. Shingles |
| lymphocytes, and stays dormant. The clear sigh of | | | | happen too often.Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD. |
| HIV infection is the drop in CD4 positive | | | | |