NAPWA

What are opportunistic infections?

The term opportunistic infections (OIs) refers to a number of illnesses, infections and conditions which occur in people whose immune systems have been damaged due to HIV and AIDS.
They are called ‘opportunistic’ because the things that cause them (e.g. organisms such as virusesA small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell., bacteriaA microscopic organism composed of a single cell. Many bacteria can cause disease in humans., or fungi) are often commonly present in
the body and in the environment. If you have an intact immune system, these
agents will not cause serious infection or illness; the immune system will ‘deal
with’ them. But when the immune system is significantly damaged, by HIV for example, these common bugs may use this ‘opportunity’ to cause disease.
Opportunistic infections can cause death and debilitating illness. Generally, the risk of developing an OI increases as a person’s CD4 count decreases. The use of combination antiretroviralA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. therapy has meant that many people with HIV in Australia, over the last eight to ten years, have not sustained the serious immune damage responsible for AIDS. The number of people reporting OIs has dramatically decreased.
If you have or have ever had a CD4 count of 200 or below (particularly if
it has been under 100) you need to pay careful attention to symptoms that may indicate the presence of an infection.
Persistent diarrhoea, fever, night sweats, vision loss or change, abdominal pain, enlarged lymph nodes, unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath and/or chest pain all need to be reported to your doctor. In addition, if you experience
neurological disturbances including headaches, changes in your thinking,
confusion, memory loss, paralysis down one side of the body, speech and comprehension problems can all be symptoms of serious AIDS-defining illnesses. It is important that you report any such symptoms to your doctor so that you can get an accurate diagnosis and commence treatment as soon as possible if needed.

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