Primary human immunodeficiency virus infection: heightened awareness needed

TY Wong, MK So
Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Laichikok, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Primary human immunodeficiency virus infection is a distinct medical syndrome which is often not diagnosed. The importance of its early recognition lies in the potential for early therapeutic intervention for the individual, with consequent public health benefits for the community at large. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion in a person with a history of potential exposure. Early treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy should be considered once the diagnosis has been established. We report a local case of primary human immunodeficiency virus infection in a patient who presented initially with fever, lymphadenopathy, generalised skin rash, dry cough, splenomegaly, and aseptic meningitis.

Hong Kong Med J 2001;7:205-8

Key words: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome/diagnosis; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Human immunodeficiency virus infection, diagnosis, RNA, type 1; Viral/analysis