Question

At which stage, of HIV infection does one usually show symptoms of AIDS?

• A. Within 15 days of sexual contact with an infected person
• B. When the infecting retrovirus enters host cells
• C. When viral DNA is produced by reverse transcriptase
• D. When HIV replicates rapidly in helper T-lymphocytes and starts to reduce the number of T cells by destroying them.

Answer 1

The correct option is D When HIV replicates rapidly in helper T-lymphocytes and starts to reduce the number of T cells by destroying them.

There are three stages in the development of AIDS.

The first stage is 'acute HIV infection' which is the earliest stage of HIV and develops within 2-4 weeks after a person is infected with HIV and here people have flu-like symptoms.
The second stage is 'chronic HIV infection' where HIV continues to multiply in the body but at very low levels.
The last and final stage of HIV infection is AIDS. AIDS is diagnosed when a person with HIV has a T lymphocytes count of less than 200 cells/cubic mm and/or one or more opportunistic infections. HIV uses the machinery of these T lymhocytes for replication and destroys them rapidly. Thus, the correct answer is option D.