WHO case definition for AIDS surveillance
Case definition for Adults
- An adult / adolescent (above 12 years of age) is considered to have AIDS if atleast 2 of the major signs and 1 minor sign is present in the person and these signs are not known to be due to a condition unrelated to HIV infection
Major signs:
- Weight loss of more than 10% of body weight
- Chronic diarrhoea of more than 1 month duration
- Prolonged fever of more than 1 month duration (intermittent or constant)
Minor signs:
- persistent cough of more than 1 month duration (not applicable for patients with tuberculosis)
- oropharyngeal candidiasis
- generalised pruritic dermatitis
- history of herpes zoster
- chronic progressive of disseminated herpes simplex
- generalised lymphadenopathy
- This definition is specific in that most of the patients diagnosed to have AIDS by the clinical definition will actually have the disease
- But this not very sensitive as nearly half of the patients with severe illness related to HIV are not detected
- because many AIDS related oppurtunistic infections are not included in this definition
Case definition for Children
- A child is considered to have AIDS if at least 2 major and 2 minor signs are present and these signs are not known to be due to a condition unrelated to AIDS.
Major signs:
- Weight loss or abnormally slow growth
- Chronic diarrhoea of more than 1 month duration
- Prolonged fever of more than 1 month duration (intermittent or constant)
Minor signs:
- persistent cough
- oropharyngeal candidiasis
- generalised rash
- generalised lymph node enlargement
- recurrent common infections (like respiratory infections)
- confirmed HIV infection in mother
- The case definition in case of children is not very specific especially in the areas where childhood malnutrition and tuberculosis are common
