The virus and infected CD4 cells turn over very quickly. The virus replicates rapidly at all stages of illness. CD4 cells are produced and destroyed in infected persons zidovudine AZT protease inhibitors at 10-100 times the normal rate. The gradual fall in CD4 count during clinical latency appears to be due to an inability of CD4 production to match mediated CD4 destruction. There is no virologic latency.
Replication proceeds relentlessly, and the body eventually fails to keep up.
The amount in the bloodstream at any given time is the result of a dynamic equilibrium between production and destruction of new particles. B. Drug resistance mutations develop easily. Replication errors are common in RNA viruses like, due to the absence of DNA proofreading mechanisms. It is estimated that one mutation occurs in every 3 newly produced genomes.