Acute infection
A diagram of a human torso labelled with the most common symptoms of an acute HIV infection
Main symptoms of acute HIV infection
The initial period following the contraction of HIV is called acute HIV, primary HIV or acute retroviral syndrome.[2][23] Many individuals develop an influenza-like illness or a mononucleosis-like illness 2–4 weeks post exposure while others have no significant symptoms.[24][25] Symptoms occur in 40–90% of cases and most commonly include fever, large tender lymph nodes, throat inflammation, a rash, headache, and/or sores of the mouth and genitals.[23][25] The rash, which occurs in 20–50% of cases, presents itself on the trunk and is maculopapular, classically.[26] Some people also develop opportunistic infections at this stage.[23] Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea may occur, as may neurological symptoms of peripheral neuropathy or Guillain-Barre syndrome.[25] The duration of the symptoms varies, but is usually one or two weeks.[25]
Due to their nonspecific character, these symptoms are not often recognized as signs of HIV infection. Even cases that do get seen by a family doctor or a hospital are often misdiagnosed as one of the many common infectious diseases with overlapping symptoms. Thus, it is recommended that HIV be considered in people presenting an unexplained fever who may have risk factors for the infection.[25]