Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are major causes of morbidity and mortality, with an estimated 36.7 million HIV-infected people worldwide in 2015.1 Illness and symptoms associated with HIV are grouped into four clinical stages according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, ranging from asymptomatic disease (stage I) to AIDS defining illness (stage IV).2 Immunological monitoring of HIV is achieved through a blood test called the CD4 count, which measures the CD4 lymphocytes. Here, CD4 is linked to AIDS.