title: Laboratory diagnosis of the first cases of HIV-2 infection in Canada.
abstract: Until recently the geographic distribution of infection due to human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) had excluded North America. We report the first two cases of such infection in Canada. Both people came from endemic areas of western Africa and were asymptomatic. The results of a commercial enzyme immunoassay specific for HIV-1 antibody were positive in both cases, but those of the Western blot technique were indeterminate. The Western blot technique specific for HIV-2 antibody and the indirect fluorescent antibody test were used to verify the presence of HIV-2 antibody.
authors.affiliation: Bureau of Laboratories Services, Federal Centre for AIDS, Ottawa, Ont.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: O'Shaughnessy
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lepine
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Major
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002170:Canada; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000295:instrumentation; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D015498:HIV-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic