HIV-1 vs. HIV-2: Symptom Differences & Health Impacts

HIV-1

* Acute infection: Fever, rash, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes

* Chronic infection: Weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, diarrhea, thrush, pneumonia, and other opportunistic infections

* Neurological complications: Dementia, neuropathy, and stroke

* Cardiovascular complications: Heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease

* Kidney complications: Kidney failure

* Cancer: Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cervical cancer

HIV-2

* Acute infection: Usually milder than HIV-1, with symptoms such as fever, rash, sore throat, muscle aches, and fatigue

* Chronic infection: Similar to HIV-1, but typically progresses more slowly

* Neurological complications: Less common than with HIV-1

* Cardiovascular complications: Less common than with HIV-1

* Kidney complications: Less common than with HIV-1

* Cancer: Less common than with HIV-1

Overall, HIV-2 is generally less virulent than HIV-1, but it can still cause serious illness and death.