Before we start, we have to draw a line between HIV and AIDS, so we could talk about the symptoms. HIV(human immunodeficiency virus) infection appears when the virus enters the body of human. That means that the person is infected with the virus, that carries the virus, but that person is not ill. HIV infection, with no evident symptoms and signs of disease can last for years and stay unrecognized. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is the last and most difficult step of HIV infection. In essence, it is a complete deterioration of the defense (immune) functions of the organism, and the person is susceptible to different infections. We can recognize 4 stages of HIV infection:

• Acute HIV syndrome, followed by a period of latency
• Increased lymph nodes - a progressive generalized lymphadenopathy
• AIDS-related complex (ARC)
• AIDS

A couple of days or weeks after a subject has been infected with the HIV virus, about 70% of them have the signs of acute HIV syndrome. These symptoms can last about fourteen days and they are very similar to flu symptoms. Unfortunately, most of the infected do not feel them, but recognition of these symptoms in this early period would contribute to more quality treatment. A few of the the symptoms are: fever, sore throat, rash, diarrhea, headache, loss of appetite, nausea...

After the first reaction of the organism, starts latency period during which there is no sing of any signs, except sometimes slightly increased lymph nodes. HIV antibodies can be noticed by having a test in the laboratory, but the virus is hard to trace in the blood. At this stage, the infected person is infectious, and he can transmit HIV to other people.

Next phase is increase of lymph nodes. This phase can be skipped and patients can go directly from latency stage in the ARC stage.

The main signs of ARC are the temperature, long term diarrhea and weight loss along with some opportunistic infections, candidiasis in the mouth, vaginal candidiasis, herpes zoster, peripheral neuropathy, cervical dysplasia…

At last, the AIDS stage. infected person in this step can recover from opportunistic infections, but they soon appear again, with severe and frequent symptoms. Curing of them all is more and more difficult and at the end the patient dies. Damages can be visible on the brain, intestines, joints, kidneys, blood forming organs and skin. General signs are viewable as in the ARC: temperature, diarrhea and loss of weight. Weight loss is particularly stated and the patient in the final stage looks like a living dead.