Which of the following statements best describes an opportunistic infection (oi)?

a. ois are common only to people with healthy immune systems.

b. ois are more frequent in the earlier stages of hiv.

c. ois are the common cause of death of people with hiv/aids.

d. ois can be deadly to perfectly healthy people.

The correct answer is C. OIs are the common cause of death of people with HIV/AIDS.

Explanation:

Opportunistic infections are the infection that occurs frequently in those persons who have a weak immune system. A healthy immune system does not allow opportunistic infections to occur.

In HIV/AIDS, the immune system becomes weak due to the reduction in helper T Cells by the virus. This weekend immune system in AIDS allows the opportunistic microbes to attack and infect the body which further results in the death of the person infected with HIV.

Therefore it is true that opportunistic infections like cryptococcal meningitis, candidiasis, etc are common causes of death of people having HIV AIDS.