PRIMARY HIV-1 INFECTION - DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSTIC IMPACT

Acute infection with HIV is symptomatic in approximately two thirds to three-fourths of patients. This stage is defined as primary HIV infec tion or acute HIV illness. The diagnosis is crucial for public health because counseling can be provided to reduce the risk of transmission and for individual because early antiretroviral treatment could improv e the prognosis, slowing the rate of disease progression. Physicians s hould be aware of the broad clinical spectrum representative of primar y HIV infection, which ranges from mild symptoms resembling classic mo nonucleosis infection to highly severe presentations. Progression to A IDS and to death has been associated with the severity of the acute HI V infection. Clinical trials with combined antiretroviral drugs are ne eded to identify the best drug combinations as well as the optimal dur ation of treatment.