Course of HIV infection

The course of untreated HIV infection can be divided into three phases: the acute HIV disease, then the latency phase and finally the disease of Aids, ending in death.

The acute HIV disease lasts a few weeks. This period is also known as the window of vulnerability, and it is characterized by an explosive replication of the HIV. During this phase, the HIVs invade the organs of the defense system and other bodily organs and establish themselves there.

The latency phase lasts on average 10 years, during which the virus concentration is relatively low.

In the Aids phase the defense system is completely destroyed, as the result of which death occurs after 1-2 years.



Weakening and destruction of the immune system

The defense system (immune system) has two main jobs: as well as combating outside invaders such as bacteria, viruses, fungi etc., which give rise to so-called infectious diseases, it also prevents cancer by tracking down and destroying the body's own damaged or degenerate cells.

It takes several years before the human immune system is defeated by the HIV infection. A veritable war goes on between the immune system and the viruses, with many battles. We know now that as early as a few days after infection (during the acute infection stage) several thousand million (!) new viruses are formed and at the same time thousands of millions of helper cells are destroyed. Hence, 2-3 weeks following infection, the acute HIV infection (= primo-infection) can appear, which subsides again after about 6 weeks, when the human immune system has gained the upper hand in the first battle. Even during the symptom-free latency period, the viruses replicate with extraordinary vigour. The human immune system kills as many HIV as are produced, maintaining equilibrium year upon year. When AIDS itself occurs, the immune system becomes exhausted and the quantity of virus steadily increases. The weakening of the immune system through HIV infection makes people increasingly vulnerable, especially to infectious diseases and cancer.

What is AIDS & HIV?".

What is AIDS & HIV?".
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is a condition caused by HIV. This virus attacks the immune system, the body's "security force" that fights off infections. When the immune system breaks down, you lose this protection and can develop many serious, often deadly infections and cancers. These are called "opportunistic infections" (OIs) because they take advantage of the body's weakened defenses.

In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is responsible for collecting data on the number of people with AIDS. This is not the same thing as the number of people living with HIV. Remember, AIDS includes the words "immune deficiency". Since people can live with HIV an average of 10 years—without effective treatment—before their immune systems become seriously impaired, AIDS is really just an advanced stage of an HIV infection.

The CDC uses specific criteria for determining when a person living with HIV progresses to AIDS. One thing they look at is CD4 cell counts: if a person's CD4 count falls below 200, then they have officially progressed to AIDS. Another thing they look for are OIs: if an HIV-positive individual is diagnosed with an opportunistic infection that's included on the CDC's list of over two dozen possible HIV-related OIs, then they are diagnosed with AIDS.

Many OIs can be prevented and/or treated. In fact, a lot of the AIDS research you hear about has been done to find treatments or cures for specific OIs, and not just looking for drugs to stop HIV.