Symptomatic HIV infection is mainly caused by the emergence of opportunistic infections and cancers that normally the immune system would prevent. These can occur in almost all the body systems, but common examples are featured in the table below.

As the table below indicates, symptomatic HIV infection is often characterised by multi-system disease. Treatment for the specific infection or cancer is often carried out, but the underlying cause is the action of HIV as it erodes the immune system. Unless HIV itself can be slowed down the symptoms of immune suppression will continue to worsen.

☛ - System

☛ - Examples of Infection / Cancer

☛ - Respiratory system

☛ - Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia (PCP)

☛ - Tuberculosis (TB)

☛ - Kaposi's Sarcoma (KS)

☛ - Gastro-intestinal system

☛ - Cryptosporidiosis

☛ - Candida

☛ - Cytomegolavirus (CMV)

☛ - Isosporiasis

☛ - Kaposi's Sarcoma

☛ - Central/peripheral Nervous system

☛ - HIV

☛ - Cytomegolavirus

☛ - Toxoplasmosis

☛ - Cryptococcosis

☛ - Non Hodgkin's lymphoma

☛ - Varicella Zoster

☛ - Herpes simplex

☛ - Skin

☛ - Herpes simplex

☛ - Kaposi's sarcoma

☛ - Varicella Zoster