Stages of HIV Infection

Stages of HIV Infection

Acute HIV Syndrome

First stage seroconversion

• virus rapidly spreads to organs, especially the lymphoid tissues

• HIV virus not very aggressive in causing diseases or severe symptoms

Asymptomatic State

• infection is latent

• virus starts to grow and multiply in the lymph nodes

Symptomatic Disease/AIDS

• Viremia (spread of virus in the blood)

• Loss of immune system, mainly due to infection of CD4+ T-Lymphocytes

End stage Disease

• immune system collapses

• virus continues to slowly destroy the Immune System for up to 10 years

• usually an opportunistic infection is the cause of death