HeMe #3 | Page 23

Signs and symptoms of latestage HIV infection are blurred vision, diarrhea ( usually persistent or chronic ), dry cough , fever of above 37C lasting for weeks, night sweats, permanent tiredness, shortness of breath, swollen glands lasting for weeks, weight loss and white spots on the tongue. Late-stage HIV infection can lead to more serious complications. They can be esophagitis, acute aseptic meningitis, subacute encephalitis, peripheral neuropathy, pneumonia, some cancers, such as Kaposi’s sarcoma, invasive cervical rectal carcinomas, hepatocellular carcinomas, head and neck cancers, lymphomas, toxoplasmosis and tuberculosis. The diagnosis is based on the signs and symptoms. Blood test is the most important to diagnose HIV. CD4+T cells are white blood cells which play an important role in immune system. These cells are destroyed due to HIV. ELISA Test — ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), is used to detect HIV infection. If an ELISA test is positive, the Western blotting test is usually done to confirm the diagnosis. If an ELISA test i