Question
What is the normal range for CD4 count?
23 January 2012. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
What is the normal range for CD4 count?
Answer
The normal CD4 range for HIV negative people is between 400 – 1600 cells/mm3
For more information on CD4 count please take a look at this link:
https://i-base.info/ttfa/section-1/7-cd4-count-as-a-surrogate-marker/
And this one soon interpreting results:
https://i-base.info/ttfa/section-1/9-interpreting-cd4-results-cd4-count-and-cd4-percentage/
Hi Amaechi,
This can be tested with a viral load test. Please follow this link for more information about viral load testing. Can you tell me which country you and your patient live in?
What test should conducted to know the level of ones viral load?
Hi Jane,
I am very sorry to hear about your husband’s recent diagnosis. A CD4 count of 800 is very good though. This means his immune system is still strong.
The only way to reduce the viral load is to take antiretroviral treatment (ARVs). In most countries people don’t start treatment until their CD4 count is below 500 or 350. In some countries though you can start treatment if you are worried about infecting sexual partners. This is because treatment reduces the viral load and makes you less infectious. Without knowing which country you are living in I can’t tell you if this is a possibility for your husband.
It is good that you have decided to get tested. It is important to know that there is a window period of 12 weeks with HIV testing. This means you will need to have an HIV test 12 weeks after the last time you had unprotected sex with your husband. For more information about this please read this section of our HIV testing and transmission guide.
My husband has been falling ill reguraly.T doctor he was seeig adviced him to take a VCT test n it turned positive with a CD4 count of 800.Luckly my husband acted positively towards t result but when he gave me the news,i broke down but decided to go for a test also.which treatment should he start to reduce his viral load and how serious is his state.
Everything is individual, but generally treatment sounds a good idea.
If you are more likely to be in chronic infection, then all guidelines say that it is a good idea to start treatment. Chronic infection mean that your were infected one or more years ago.
Your CD4 count is low (below 200) and your viral load is high (over 100,000).
If you are likely to have to still be in primary HIV infection then your CD4 count may still increase and viral load come down further without treatment. This means you would have to have been infected within the last few months.
However, some guidelines still recommend treatment with these results however long you have been HIV positive.
I have just been told that my CD4 is 197 and viral load is 283,000. I want to know if Do I have to start treatment?
Hi
If your brother has neuropathy (this may be the pain in his hands and feet) there is more information at this link.
http://i-base.info/guides/side/peripheral-neuropathy
If it doesn’t improve form the treatment, then this might be a reason to start HIV meds.
I’m pretty sure that the guidelines in South Africa now say you can start treatment at 350 rather than 200.
Because of the neuropathy, it is important that your brother does not use a drug called stavudine (also called d4T or Zerit) when he comes to start treatment. This usually involves using a drug called tenofovir in his combination instead.
If the treatment for neuropathy works, then it is ok for your brother to wait until his CD4 count drops to below 350 before starting treatment.
My brother was diagnosed in june. He tested positive to HIV and his CD4 count was 420; he was given some medication but not the one cos they say in south africa you can start treatment only if your are below 200 CD4 counts. My brother feels pain on his feet and finger tips by the finger nails, he says it feels hot or sometimes it doesn’t feel like part of his body and the left hand fingers can’t hold anything. He went to our local clinic and they gave him vitamin B6 and vitamin D. I’m worried cos they don’t want to start his treatment. Is it ok to send him to private doctors for treatment or is only government hospitals that holds the medication, they took his blood again thou, thank you, pls advise me.
HIV is not infectious through everyday contact. This has been clear for at least 25 years. Getting an HIV diagnosis is a difficult time and your employee would benefit from your support. If she has access to treatment this should quickly help her become stronger and return to leading a normal active life. Neither your daugther nor yourselves are at risk from HIV.
Goodday our nanny has just been diagnosed HIV a week ago and today been for test results and her CD4 count is 84. From what i have read now this is very low. My concern is that she is taking care of my cerebal palsy daughter, and i need to know how contagious or what measures need to be put in place. I know she has to work on keeping her immune system strong (fruit/veg/beans etc) she received meds at clinic today and has to go back 23rd feb to see effect of meds. I am very concerned as she lives with us and has lost a lot of weight since last winter when she was ill with flu. She went to hospital a week ago with a pain below her left breast and was x-rayed and then sent back to clinic where blood test was done and the result of HIV. not sure what to do from my side and not sure if she understands the impact of all this. thk u