Many people will not have any symptoms when they are first infected with
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). However, some people do have a flu-like illness within a month or two after exposure. This illness may include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Tiredness
- Enlarged lymph nodes (glands of the immune system easily felt in the neck and groin).
These HIV symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month, and are often mistaken for those of another viral infection. During this period, people are highly infectious (can easily spread the virus), and HIV is present in large quantities in genital fluids.
HIV Symptoms: The "Asymptomatic" Period
More persistent or severe symptoms may not appear for 10 years or more after HIV first enters the body in adults, or for 2 years in children born with HIV infection. This period of "asymptomatic" (without symptoms) infection varies greatly in each individual. Some people may begin to have HIV symptoms within a few months, while others may be symptom-free for more than 10 years.
Even during the asymptomatic period, the virus is actively multiplying, infecting, and killing cells of the immune system. The virus can also hide within infected cells and lie dormant. The most obvious effect of HIV infection is a decline in the number of CD4+ T cells found in the blood. These are the immune system's key infection fighters. The virus slowly disables or destroys these cells without causing symptoms.
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