Clinical aspects of HIV infection in developing countries.

The HIV epidemic probably arose in Africa at about the same time as in the West, and there is a significant seroprevalence of HIV in the central African region. However, the epidemiology and clinical course of AIDS are different in Africa and in the West. In Africa males are infected as often as females, and the commonest means of transmission is heterosexual intercourse. Many HIV-infected people are symptomless, but many others present with or progress to generalized lymphadenopathy, pruritus, herpes zoster, herpes simplex, cellulitis, and oral candidiasis. The World Health Organization developed a clinical case-definition of AIDS in Africa, which was found to have a specificity of 90% and a sensitivity of 59% when tested in Zaire. The Kaposi's sarcoma seen in African AIDS patients is more aggressive than that seen in the West and is often visceral. Gastrointestinal AIDS (the "slim" disease) with weight loss and diarrhea is common in Africa, as are oral and esophageal candidiasis. In Africa Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is rare, but pulmonary tuberculosis is common. Neurological manifestations include cerebral toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus infection, headache, and terminal encephalopathy. About 60% of infants born to seropositive women are infected and die within the 1st year of life. Lack of drugs and diagnostic facilities make both diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections difficult.