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How is HIV diagnosed
- HIV-1: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies to HIV-1.
- Nonreactive results considered HIV-negative
- Confirmatory test Western blot or, less commonly, an immunofluorescence assay (IFA)).
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Treatment for HIV
- highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART
- nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NARTIs or NRTIs) plus either a protease inhibitor or a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)
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When to commence HIV treatment
- Start before the patient's CD4 count less 200,
- National guidelines falls below 350;
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To successfully reproduce itself, HIV
Convert its RNA to DNA, which is then imported into the host cell's nucleus and inserted into the host genome through the action of HIV integrase.
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HIV infection has basically four stages:
- incubation period, asymptomatic and usually lasts between two and four weeks.
- acute infection: 28 days symptoms fever, lymphadenopathy, pharyngitis, rash, myalgia, malaise, mouth and esophageal sores.
- latency stage: few or no symptoms from two weeks to twenty years and beyond
- AIDS: symptoms of various opportunistic infections.
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