What cells does the HIV virus infect? What are the stages of HIV infection and the symptoms of each?

The primary host for HIV is a helper T lymphocyte.

1. Acute Phase: symptoms are few, but the individual is highly contagious (you are considered still in this phase until your T-cell count is under 500 cells per cubic millimeter.
2. Chronic Phase: A T-Cell count between 499 and 200. Any of the symptoms will be symptoms related to immune trouble (yeast infections, cervical dysplasia, prolonged diarrhea, thick sores on tongue, etc.).
3. AIDS: T-cell count under 200 cells/mm3 or the person has developed one or more of the 25 AIDS defining illnesses on the 1993 CDC list. Death usually follows in two to four years, and they usually die from one of the infections.