The incubation period of the HIV (the time interval between the infection and the beginning of the immunodeficiency symptoms) ranges in average from 10 to 15 years.
Acute AIDS is the clinical situation characterized by signs and symptoms that may appear in 5 to 30 days after the infection by the HIV, due to the high replication rate of the virus on this period. Acute AIDS does not always happen and many times it is mistaken for common diseases like the common cold. The patient can present fever, malaise, myalgia (muscle pain) and arthralgia (joint pain), lymphadenomegaly (enlargement of lymphnodes), sweating and diarrhea. The manifestation often lasts from 3 to 15 days.