AIDS woman with a hairy tongue. Woman's hairy or furry tongue (glossotrichia) showing thread-like (filiform) plaques. She also has a herpes labialis ulcer, an infection caused by herpes simplex, at the corner of her mouth. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It causes weakening of the immune system, making the patient susceptible to opportunistic infections and making normally harmless infections life threatening. These disorders have developed as an AIDS-related complex (ARC), a precursor to full AIDS. In Africa lack of access to drugs and information makes AIDS a major public health concern.