HIV infection doesn’t announce itself loudly. Most people who acquire HIV will get a flu-like illness within a month or so after the virus takes hold. The symptoms are often mild and may even be unnoticed for busy professionals, who power through even though they may be under the weather. Viral load is highest at this point – a period called seroconversion -- and HIV can spread more efficiently during this primary phase of infection.
The symptoms of HIV infection:
1) Fever – Although it won’t be high, a slightly higher temperature can occur
2) Headache – This won’t be debilitating, but will be noticeable
3) Muscle and joint pain – This may be dismissed as flu symptoms, the result of athletic activities or even a hangover.
4) Sore throat – One of the components that may be dismissed as part of an oncoming cold, the sore throat rarely reaches high levels of pain.
5) Swollen lymph glands – Usually appearing in the neck area, the swollen glands may again be mistaken for the onset of a cold or flu.
The initial and acute stage of HIV infection can last for a few weeks.