ABSTRACT
The latest reports indicate that since the beginning of 1980s, 60 million people have been infected with HIV (UNAIDS-WHO, 2001). Today, in certain parts of the world such as Sub-Saharan Africa, it is the leading cause of death amongst its population. In 1983 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued the first classification of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which was then revised in 1987 (CDC, 1987) and again in 1993 (MMWR). The 1983 and 1987 classifications were clinical symptom based, consisting of four groups of disorders:
• Group I: Acute infection (seroconversion) • Group II: Asymptomatic infection • Group III: Persistent generalized lymphadenopathy • Group IV: with subgroups:
(A) constitutional disease with fever, weight loss, fatigue and night sweats
(B) neurological disease (C) secondary infectious diseases (D) secondary cancers (E) other conditions.
