AIDS
Alternative names:
acquired immune deficiency syndrome
Symptoms:
Symptoms of AIDS are primarily the result of infections that
do not normally develop in individuals with healthy immune
systems. These infections are termed opportunistic infections.
Patients with AIDS have had their immune system destroyed
by HIV and are susceptible to such opportunistic infections.
The general symptoms associated with most infections are fevers,
sweats, chills weakness, and weight loss. Below in the diagnosis
section, we list the common AIDS-defining opportunistic infections
and the major symptoms associated with them. Note: Initial
infection may produce no symptoms. Some people with HIV infection
remain without symptoms for years between the time of exposure
and development of AIDS.
Signs and tests:
Not all patients infected with HIV have AIDS. The patients
who have tested positive for the HIV antibody test slowly
develop AIDS as HIV destroys their immune systems. In order
for a patient who is infected with HIV to have AIDS, their
immune system must be severely damaged. The severity of the
immune system damage is measured by an absolute CD4 lymphocyte
count. The CD4 lymphocyte is an important cell in the blood
stream that helps protect from several infections and cancers.
If a person infected with HIV has a CD4 count less than 200,
they are said to have AIDS. If the immune system of a person
who is infected with HIV is severely damaged, that person
is susceptible to certain disease processes or infections,
which indicate that the person has developed AIDS. The following
is a list of "AIDS-defining" infections and cancers that people
with AIDS acquire as their CD4 count decreases.
CD4 count below 350/ml Herpes
- Simple Virus - ulcers in your mouth and/or genitals caused
by this virus
- Tuberculosis - Infection by the tuberculosis bacteria
that predominately affects the lungs
- Oral and/or vaginal thrush - yeast infection of the mouth
or genitals
- Herpes zoster - ulcers over a discrete patch of skin
caused by this virus
- Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma - cancer of the lymph glands
CD4 count below 200/ml
- Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia - pneumonia caused this
fungus
- Candida esophagitis - painful yeast infection of the
esophagus
CD4 count below 100/ml
- Cryptococcal meningitis - infection of the brain by this
fungus
- AIDS Dementia - worsening and slowing of mental function
caused by HIV
- Toxoplasmosis encephalitis - infection of the brain by
this parasite
- Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy - a viral
disease of the brain caused by a virus (called the JC virus)
that caused quick decline in cognitive and motor functions
- Wasting Syndrome - extreme weight loss and anorexia caused
by HIV
CD4 count below 50/ml
- Mycobacterium - a blood infection by a bacterium related
to tuberculosis
- Cytomegalovirus infection - a viral infection that can
affect almost any organ system, especially the eyes
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: How effective are latex condoms at preventing transmission
of disease?
A: Studies have shown that latex condoms are highly
effective in preventing HIV transmission. Even with repeated
sexual contact, 98-100 percent of those people who used latex
condoms correctly and consistently did not become infected.
Q: Is the U.S. blood supply safe?
A: The U.S. blood supply is among the safest in the
world. Nearly all people infected with HIV through blood transfusions
received those transfusions before 1985, the year HIV testing
began for all donated blood. Currently, the risk of infection
with HIV in the United States through receiving a blood transfusion
or blood products is extremely low and has become progressively
lower, even in geographic areas with high HIV prevalence.
Updated Date: 06/22/00
Luis A. Diaz, Jr. M.D., Johns Hopkins Medical
Institute, VeriMed Health Network
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