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Progression from HIV infection to the symptoms of AIDS, varies
from person to person. Some develop AIDS symptoms within the first
five years after HIV infection while others, with treatment or
because of their own genetic disposition, live with HIV for up to
15 years without progressing to AIDS. However, without treatment,
AIDS normally develops eight to 10 years after HIV infection.
Immediately after HIV infection there are no signs of the disease.
While not visible to the human eye, the immune system has already
begun mounting its attack against the foreign organism. During this
acute period, and most likely unknown to the infected individual,
they are most infectious to others because their viral load (number
of virus particles in the blood) is extremely high. Signs of the
disease usually appear two to six weeks after exposure but are
often difficult to clinically diagnose because they present as
flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat and
rash.
The secondary or prolonged phase of the disease lasts approximately
eight to ten years. In this period, the patient does not have any
obvious, visible symptoms of the disease. It is during this phase
of the disease that HIV integrates into the host DNA of immune
cells and establishes itself as a chronic infection. Diagnosis
during this stage can be confirmed with laboratory tests because
the immune system has generated antibodies against HIV.
The last stage of HIV or progression to AIDS, occurs approximately
10 years after infection. At this point, the immune system has been
so severely damaged that it is unable to thwart attacks by
secondary infections. Symptoms of viral activity such as, soaking
night sweats, shaking chills, high fever for several weeks, chronic
diarrhoea and headache are obvious and persistent. This is also the
second occasion in the progression of the disease where the patient
is most infectious to others because their viral load is again
high. Without treatment, it is likely that one of the ensuing
opportunistic infections will develop and lead to death.
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