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Lymphatic System

Specific Defenses

What is the difference between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS?

The term AIDS applies to the most advanced stages of HIV infection. The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) definition of AIDS includes all HIV-infected people who have fewer than 200 CD4 T cells per cubic millimeter of blood. (Healthy adults usually have CD4 T cell counts of 1,000 or more.) The definition also includes 26 clinical conditions (mostly opportunistic infections) that affect people with advanced HIV disease.