title: Symptomatic primary HIV infection in a 49-year-old man who has sex with men: beware of the window phase.
abstract: A 49-year-old man with a history of receptive unprotected anal intercourse with multiple anonymous men presented with a symptomatic primary HIV infection. Upon his initial visit the rapid HIV antibody screening test was negative but a p24 antigen test suggested a highly infectious phase in the HIV infection. An immunoblot assay confirmed the HIV diagnosis only 14 days later. Recent infections are characterised by a highly infectious phase and, if gone unnoticed, can have a large contribution to the ongoing transmission of HIV. Healthcare providers should be aware of primary HIV infection and the pitfalls in its diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: STI Outpatient Clinic, Cluster Infectious Diseases, Municipal Health Service of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: van Oosten
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Damen
authors.forename: H J C
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: de Vries
mesh_terms: D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000379:methods*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged