Asymptomatic HIV infection
Alternate Names : HIV infection - asymptomatic
Symptoms & Signs
Asymptomatic HIV infection, by definition, does NOT have symptoms typically associated with HIV, such as: - Fever
- Opportunistic infections (opportunistic means they occur because the weakened immune system provides the "opportunity" for infections to take hold. Serious opportunistic infections include Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, cytomegalovirus, and Mycobacterium avium).
- Oral thrush (also an opportunistic infection, but not life-threatening and does not require a seriously weakened immune system to occur)
- Weight loss
Diagnosis & Tests
The diagnosis of HIV infection is based on standard blood tests such as the HIV antibody test (ELISA). A Western blot confirms the diagnosis. How well an HIV-infected person's immune system is functioning can be determined by measuring the level of certain white blood cells called CD4 lymphocytes (also known as helper T lymphoctyes).
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