HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, causes AIDS. It attacks the immune system and makes the body susceptible to infections. When the immune system is weakened, microbes such as bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses are able to cause severe and debilitating diseases that do not normally occur in a healthy person. The AIDS virus is spread through transfer of infected blood, sexual contact and from an infected mother to a child. The virus has been found in bodily fluids such as spinal fluid, tears, saliva, vaginal fluid, semen and breast milk, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Symptoms vary depending on the progression and phase of the disease.
Early phase
Initial infection with the AIDS virus has no immediate symptoms; but flu-like symptoms do appear within a month. Symptoms include sore throat, rash, headaches, fever and swollen lymph nodes. At this point, the virus enters the body and the lymph nodes where it multiplies. The virus then attacks the T-lymphocytes, or T-cells, that are responsible for coordinating the immune system. The virus is present in bodily fluids and is able to be transmitted.
Late phase
Symptoms may not be present for years, and the virus continues to destroy immune-system cells. Mild infections may occur with regularity and symptoms at this phase include weight loss, diarrhea, coughing and shortness of breath, swollen lymph nodes and fever. Some symptoms may tend to occur continuously while some indefinitely.
Final phase
According to the Mayo Clinic, this phase usually occurs after 10 years or more of being infected and symptoms are the most severe. This condition is referred to as full-blown AIDS. Symptoms are chronic diarrhea, blurred vision, weight loss, soaking night sweats, a fever of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, dry cough and shortness of breath, lesions and white spots on the tongue, and headaches.
HIV-infected children
Symptoms in HIV-infected children tend to differ a little from adults. They include problems walking, delayed mental development, difficulty gaining weight, severe infections such as tonsillitis, pneumonia and ear infections, and problems with normal growth.
Treated and asymptomatic individuals
People who have HIV will develop AIDS if they are not given the appropriate treatments. Although there is no cure for AIDS, new drug therapies are able to slow down the multiplication and spread of the virus. Some people are asymptomatic or do not show any symptoms of infection even though they are carriers of the AIDS virus. These individuals may either get symptoms very slowly or not at all. A possible reason for not getting the disease is genetic defects that do not allow the virus to attack the immune cells.
