Infection (exposure) |
Sexual Intercourse. Blood transfusion,
Intravenous drug abuse, Mother to unborn child. |
Influenza like illness |
2 - 3 weeks after infection (fever,
fatigue, rash). Subsides on its own, often without the patient noticing
it. So transient it is, that the very occurrence of this is being doubted. |
Seroconversion |
6 - 12 weeks. HIV test now becomes
positive. Patient absolutely fit and normal. Till this stage only the most
advanced tests can help diagnose AIDS. (This period can be as long as 6
months also |
Enlargement of lymph nodes.AIDS
related complex (weight loss, fever, diarrhoea, oral ulcers, herpes). |
Depending on the patients own immunity
and how severe the initial infection is, these related stages come at roughly
around 5 years (but this is variable - a long period if infection is through
intercourse and short if by blood transfusion) |
AIDS (Symptomatic HIV) |
20 % of those infected develop it
in 5 years and 50 % in 10 years. Till this stage the patient is merely
HIV positive. AIDS is labelled when the patient has
I) Opportunistic Infections ii) A malignancy called Kaposis Sarcoma and
iii) some neurological deficit. After this the patient soon succumbs. (See
Note – 6.) |