Table: Common Opportunistic Infections Associated with AIDS

Common Opportunistic Infections Associated with AIDS

Infection	Description	Symptoms
Candidal esophagitis Candidiasis Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by several species of the yeast Candida, especially Candida albicans. The most common type of candidiasis is a superficial infection of... read more	A yeast infection of the esophagus	Painful swallowing and burning in the chest
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia Causes	An infection of the lungs with the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii	Difficulty breathing, cough, and fever
Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis is infection caused by the single-celled protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Infection occurs when people unknowingly ingest toxoplasma cysts from cat feces or eat contaminated... read more	Infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, usually in the brain	Headache, confusion, lethargy, muscle weakness (in the arms, legs, or face), and seizures
Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) Tuberculosis is a chronic contagious infection caused by the airborne bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It usually affects the lungs, but almost any organ can be involved. Tuberculosis... read more	Infection of the lungs and sometimes other organs with tuberculosis bacteria	Cough, fevers, night sweats, weight loss, and chest pain
Mycobacterium avium complex infection Infections Caused by Bacteria Related to Tuberculosis (TB) Many species of mycobacteria exist. The species Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the one that causes tuberculosis. The other mycobacteria species that cause disease are discussed here. These... read more	Infection of the intestine or lungs with bacteria that resemble tuberculosis bacteria	Fever, weight loss, diarrhea, and cough
Cryptosporidiosis Cryptosporidiosis Cryptosporidiosis is an intestinal infection caused by Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite. The main symptoms are abdominal cramping and diarrhea. People acquire the infection by consuming... read more	Infection of the intestine with the parasite Cryptosporidium	Diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss
Cryptococcal meningitis Cryptococcosis Cryptococcosis is an infection caused by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans or Cryptococcus gattii. People may have no symptoms or may have headache and confusion, a cough and... read more	Infection of the tissues covering the brain with the yeast Cryptococcus	Headache, fever, and confusion
Cytomegalovirus infection Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection Cytomegalovirus infection is a common herpesvirus infection with a wide range of symptoms: from no symptoms to fever and fatigue (resembling infectious mononucleosis) to severe symptoms involving... read more	Infection of the eyes or intestinal tract with cytomegalovirus	Eye: Clouding of vision or blindness Intestinal tract: Diarrhea and weight loss