- With Mayo Clinic internist
James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
James Steckelberg, M.D.
Dr. James Steckelberg is chairman of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Mayo Clinic, a consultant and a professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School.
A native of Fremont, Neb., Dr. Steckelberg was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine as a resident in internal medicine and a fellow in infectious diseases, and is board certified in both. He is the former director of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory at Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Steckelberg belongs to numerous professional organizations. He is a founding member of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society of America and a fellow with the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He has served on many Mayo Clinic committees and is a member of the Department of Medicine Leadership Committee and the executive committee of the Division of Infectious Diseases. He also served on the editorial boards of "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" and "Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy" and has been an editorial reviewer for more than a dozen publications.
Dr. Steckelberg's research interests include experimental models of infection, epidemiology of infection, and antimicrobial resistance and therapy of bacterial infections.
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Question
Early HIV symptoms: What are they?
When do early HIV symptoms first appear? After having unprotected sex, I developed a mild flu-like illness. Could these symptoms have been from HIV infection?
Answer
from James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
It is possible, if you were exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Some people develop a flu-like illness when they first become infected with HIV, usually two to four weeks after being infected. Doctors refer to this illness as acute retroviral syndrome, or primary HIV infection.
Early HIV signs and symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Swollen lymph glands
- Rash
These early HIV symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month and are often mistaken for those of another viral infection. During this period, you are very infectious. More-persistent or more-severe symptoms of HIV infection may not appear for several years after the initial infection.
HIV is most commonly diagnosed by testing your blood or oral mucus for the presence of antibodies to the virus. Unfortunately, HIV tests aren't accurate immediately after infection because it takes time for your immune system to make these antibodies. However, the vast majority — more than 95 percent — develop antibodies by three months after infection. Rarely, it can take up to six months for an HIV test to become positive. Some tests, such as those that test for the presence of the virus itself, may become positive sooner.
The symptoms that indicate an early HIV infection are extremely common. Often, you can't tell them apart from symptoms of another viral infection. If you're concerned that you might have been exposed to HIV, talk to your doctor about your testing options. There's no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for AIDS. But it's possible to protect yourself from infection. If you don't know the HIV status of your partner, use a new latex or polyurethane condom every time you have anal or vaginal sex.
- Katz MH, et al. HIV infection & AIDS. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2009. 48th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=16807. Accessed Sept. 29, 2009.
- Hirschel B. Primary HIV infection. In: Cohen J, et al. Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: Mosby; 2004. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/162867982-5/0/1209/365.html?tocnode=49354966&fromURL=365.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2009.
- Colson AE, et al. Primary HIV-1 infection: Pathogenesis; epidemiology and clinical manifestations. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2009.
- Deciding if and when to be tested. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testing/resources/qa/be_tested.htm#tested. Accessed Sept. 29, 2009.
