Some people infected by HIV develop a flu-like illness within 2 to 4 weeks after the virus enters the body. This illness, known as primary (acute) HIV infection, may last for a few weeks.

Possible signs and symptoms include:

– Fever
– Headache
– Muscle aches and joint pain
– Rash
– Sore throat and painful mouth sores
– Swollen lymph glands, mainly on the neck
– Diarrhoea
– Weight loss
– Cough
– Night sweats

These symptoms can be so mild that you might not even notice them. However, the amount of virus in your bloodstream (viral load) is quite high and as a result, the infection spreads more easily during primary infection than during the next stage.