Acute HIV Infection

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Synonym(s)
Primary HIV Infection

Early stage of HIV that extends approximately 2 to 4 weeks from initial infection until the body produces enough HIV antibodies to be detected by an HIV antibody test. During acute HIV, HIV is highly infectious because the virus is multiplying rapidly. The rapid increase in HIV viral load can be detected before HIV antibodies are present.

Related Term(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Chronic HIV Infection
HIV Progression
Viral Load (VL)
Image(s): (Click to enlarge)
Graph of acute HIV infection that extends approximately 2 to 4 weeks until the body produces enough HIV antibodies to be detected by a test.

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