Stages of HIV

There are several stages of HIV infection, during which transmission is possible. The acute stage arrives within two to four weeks after the initial infection, when the patient has flu-like symptoms. This is technically called the acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) or primary HIV infection. Large numbers of HIV are being produced at this time, as the virus uses CD4 cells to replicate itself while destroying the CD4 cells. This is the most infectious stage because of the large amount of HIV in the body.

At some point, the afflicted’s immune system will begin to fight back, decreasing the amount of virus and increasing CD4 count. However, it is unlikely to return to previous T-cell levels.

At this point, the patient reaches the clinical latency level. HIV is still active but is not reproducing very fast, and the patient may not exhibit symptoms. If treatment is started, symptoms may not manifest, but even people who are not being treated can stay in this period for up to a decade before the CD4 cell count begins to drop.

The final phase is the AIDS infection onset. This is when the CD4 cell count decreases to less than 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (displayed as 200 cells/mm3). At this point, the immune system is badly damaged, and infections occur easily. Opportunistic diseases like infection-related cancers also may emerge. Without treatment, this phase has a projected survival rate of three years, but if an opportunistic disease emerges, that period can decrease to one year.

Treatment

Treating the opportunistic and rare infections that depressed immune systems could not fight was the first line of defense against HIV/AIDS in the early days of the epidemic. They largely did not work, and early victims died swiftly and cruelly.