Bacterial infections in AIDS patients.

Bacterial infections cause a substantial burden of disease in the HIV-infected population. Like the opportunistic infections associated with AIDS, they are often usually severe. Unlike many AIDS-related opportunistic infections, however, many can be eradicated by therapy with the appropriate antibiotic, although some, like Salmonella sepsis, require prolonged suppressive therapy to prevent recurrences. Most importantly, the possibility of a bacterial infection should be kept in mind when evaluating any acutely ill HIV-infected patient, as therapy of bacterial disease is often curative while untreated infection can lead to severe morbidity and premature death.