Opportunistic infections

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  • PCP

    PCP is a form of pneumonia caused by a common organism, Pneumocystis jiroveci (previously called Pneumocystis carinii), which is a type of fungus. This organism...

    From: Factsheets

    Information level Level 2

  • Preventing infections

    Because HIV can weaken the immune system, it leaves the body vulnerable to some infections it would normally be able to fight off. These are...

    From: Factsheets

    Information level Level 2

  • Septrin (cotrimoxazole)

    Septrin or Bactrim are brandnames for a combination of antibiotics called cotrimoxazole. Cotrimoxazole is the main drug used to treat and to prevent PCP (Pneumocystis...

    From: Factsheets

    Information level Level 2

  • Mouth problems

    Many HIV-related conditions can affect the mouth, causing symptoms such as ulcers, dry mouth and painful lesions. Mouth problems are caused by either fungal infections,...

    From: Factsheets

    Information level Level 2

  • A to Z of illnesses

    Information on the common symptoms experienced by people with HIV or AIDS, and details of opportunistic infections, drug side-effects and other illnesses....

    From: HIV treatments directory

    Information level Level 4

Opportunistic infections features

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Opportunistic infections news selected from other sources

  • For Gay Men, a Fear That Feels Familiar: Bacterial Meningitis

    A new, casually transmittable infection — a unique strain of bacterial meningitis — has cast a pall over the gay night life and dating scene, with men wondering whether this is AIDS, circa 1981, all over again. Seven men have died in New York City, about a third of diagnosed cases, since 2010. And in the last few months, the contagion seemed to be accelerating. It has targeted gay and bisexual men, and nobody knows exactly why.

    20 May 2013 | New York Times

  • Researchers make a significant step forward in combating antibiotic resistance

    Antibiotic resistance is a global problem. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that for tuberculosis alone multi-drug resistance accounts for more than 150,000 deaths each year. Now researchers are one step closer to understanding why antibiotics are ineffective against certain types of bacteria.

    25 April 2013 | Durham University News

  • The Facts About Bacterial Meningitis Among Gay Men

    Magnet Medical Director Chris Hall, MD, gives us the facts about bacterial meningitis and what guys in our community need to know.

    16 April 2013 | San Francisco AIDS Foundation

  • Meningitis Outbreak: New York City Advises Vaccines For All Gay Men

    A deadly meningitis outbreak among gay men in New York City just got more serious, officials said today. Two men died of meningitis during the first two months of the year, raising the total number of cases to 22, with 3 of the last 5 cases resulting in death. The city's Department of Health upgraded its response to recommend vaccinations for all gay men throughout the city, regardless of HIV status and geographical location.

    25 March 2013 | Medical Daily

  • MRSA in the Groin of HIV Patients Ups Infection Risk

    Colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the groin area of HIV-infected adults increases risk for subsequent clinical infection, according to results of a prospective study carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    14 March 2013 | Medscape (requires registration)

  • CMV Retinitis Drug Recalled

    One lot of cidofovir for intravenous infusion (Vistide), used to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in AIDS patients, has been recalled because of particulate matter in some vials, the FDA said.

    19 February 2013 | MedPage Today HIV/AIDS

  • Stopping Smoking Reduces Risk of Bacterial Pneumonia in People With HIV

    A metanalysis of cohort and case control studies finds that current smokers with HIV were at double the risk of bacterial pneumonia than non-smoking counterparts, but that when people stopped smoking their risk was reduced.

    22 January 2013 | Science Daily (press release)

  • Higher Dose Flu Vaccine Works Better for People with HIV

    HIV positive people who received a quadruple dose of a trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine produced more protective antibodies without a significant increase in side effects, researchers reported in the January 1, 2013, Annals of Internal Medicine.

    04 January 2013 | HIVandHepatitis.com

  • A drug used to treat HIV might defuse deadly Staph infections

    A new study by NYU School of Medicine researchers suggests that an existing HIV drug called maraviroc could be a potential therapy for Staphylococcus aureus, a notorious and deadly pathogen linked to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations each year. Their study is published online this week in Nature.

    17 December 2012 | NYU Langone Medical Center

  • How and why herpes viruses reactivate to cause disease

    The word "herpes" conjures negative stereotypes, but most people are infected with some form of the virus. After a flare-up, the virus usually remains latent until the right circumstances to return. Now, research in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology sheds some light on what triggers the virus to reactivate. It shows that the immune system may actually lose control over the virus when facing new microbial threats, such as fending off other viruses or bacteria.

    01 November 2012 | Eurekalert Inf Dis
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