HIV is amongst one of the most common and dreaded viruses of recent times and is known to cause one of the most dreaded and incurable disease “AIDS”. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) as it is known infects the immune system of our body which is responsible for protecting our body against any infection. Thus, HIV infection may be defined as a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which in turns weakens the immune system of our body. HIV infection is caused when the HIV infects the T helper cell (T helper cells are the ones which directly attack upon and destroy infected or malignant cell existing in the body)as they gain entry. The T helper cells are also referred to as a CD4 as they have the protein CD4 on their surface, which is utilized by HIV to attach itself to the cell. Once the virus finds its way into a cell it tends to form its own replicas in a large number which further move on to infect the other cells.

In a time span of several years, the HIV infection leads to a reduction in the number of CD4 cells and they are not available to fight against infections and diseases. The HIV infection can be divided into four different stages. They are: primary infection, clinically in detail the symptoms of each stage can be summarized as:

STAGE I: PRIMARY INFECTION:

• Lasts for a few weeks
• Accompanied by flu like illness
• Large amount of HIV is present in peripheral blood
• immune system begins to respond by producing HIV antibodies
• HIV tests conducted are usually negative.

STAGE II: CLINICALLY ASYMPTOTIC INFECTION

• It lasts for average 8-10 years
• Free from major symptoms, swollen glands may be there
• Level of HIV is less in blood but infection persists
• HIV antibody shows positive results.

STAGE III: SYMPTOTIC HIV INFECTION

• Body becomes severely damaged by HIV
• Tissues are lymph nodes get damaged
• HIV leads to more destruction of the helper T cells.
• Opportunistic infections and cancers start developing
• Each and every organ system of the body is affected in one way or the other .e.g.: respiratory system is affected by tuberculosis .also Kaposi’s sarcoma develops which affects the gastro intestinal system as well as the skin etc.

STAGE IV: PROGRESS FROM HIV to AIDS

• Immune system becomes more damaged
• AIDS diagnosis takes place
• Lower count of the CD4 cells is there.

Thus, care should be taken and prevention is the only key to protect ourselves from HIV infection.