What is Acute HIV Infection?

In emergency departments and family practice offices across the country and around the world, a dangerous scenario takes place; acute HIV infections being missed. People are presenting to ERs with complaints of HIV symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, sore throat, rash and diarrhea. In response to these symptoms, physicians don't diagnose acute HIV infection. Instead they diagnose the flu or other benign viral illnesses and send the patient on their way. In the majority of cases, their diagnosis proves correct. Unfortunately, a number of people with these vague, indistinct symptoms have a much more serious illness than the flu. For some, these symptoms signal the acute stages of HIV infection or acute HIV infection.

What is Acute HIV Infection?

Acute HIV infection goes by several names; acute HIV syndrome, acute retroviral syndrome or primary HIV infection to name a few. In the mid and late 90s, acute HIV syndrome was initially described as a flu or mononucleosis-like illness affecting gay men. Since those early years of HIV, acute HIV syndrome can now be identified in 30 percent to 50 percent of all newly HIV infected people. In those days immediately after infection occurs, HIV replication is extremely rapid, resulting in a dramatic peak in the HIV viral load. In essence, HIV has caught the body's immune system off guard.

As the level of active HIV increases, a large number of CD4 cells are destroyed, resulting in a dramatic decrease in CD4 count and a weakening of the immune system. As the immune system weakens, symptoms of acute HIV syndrome may begin to appear. These symptoms can include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint aches, sore throat, rash, weight loss and diarrhea. Of all the symptoms that may appear, fever is the most common. Because the symptoms are common in other viral illnesses such as influenza ("the flu") or mononucleosis, the diagnosis of acute HIV syndrome is often missed and the patient is sent home unaware that they have been recently infected with HIV. Typically, the symptoms of acute HIV syndrome occur five to 30 days after the initial infection and can last several weeks.