title: Prevalence, incidence, and mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 in rural South Africa.
abstract: Simple, robust approaches are needed to monitor prevalence, incidence, and mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 in rural Africa. We have designed a method that uses antibody and viral RNA testing of dried blood spots obtained from mother-infant pairs attending routine immunisation clinics. In our study, prevalence and incidence of HIV-1 was highest in young women in their late teens and early twenties. In children born to infected mothers, prevalence increased from 14% in infants younger than 6 weeks of age to 24% at 3-6 months. The blood-spot approach is an effective method for surveillance of HIV-1 in women and children, and for early identification of incidence of this infection in women of child-bearing age.
authors.affiliation: Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, KwaZulu, Natal, South Africa.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Rollins
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dedicoat
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danaviah
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kleinschmidt
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Coovadia
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cassol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology