title: Evaluation of rapid assays for screening and confirming HIV-1 infection in Ethiopia.
abstract: To evaluate a simple and rapid testing strategy to diagnose HIV infection in Ethiopia, we subjected a panel of 688 sera with known HIV serologic status (confirmed by ELISA/WB or double ELISA) to 3 rapid assays: Determine HIV-1/2, Capillus HIV-1/2 and Serocard HIV. Samples were obtained from participants in a cohort study on HIV-infection (72%), from tuberculosis patients (18%) and from participants in surveillance studies among police recruits and commercial sex workers (10%). The panel consisted of 249 HIV-1 positive samples, of which 68 were HIV-1 subtype C and 1 HIV-1 subtype A, and 439 HIV-1 negative samples. Determine and Capillus were 100% sensitive and 99.8% specific, Serocard was 100% sensitive and specific. On retrospective evaluation, both parallel (samples tested simultaneously by two rapid assays) and serial (samples tested by two consecutive rapid assays) testing algorithms were 100% sensitive and specific when compared to ELISA/WB or double ELISA testing strategy. In conclusion rapid assays have high sensitivity and specificity. HIV serodiagnosis based on rapid assays may therefore be a valuable alternative in voluntary counselling and testing centres and in facilities where sophisticated laboratories are not available.
authors.affiliation: Ethio-Netherlands AIDS Research Project (ENARP), P.O.Box 1242, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Hailu@enarp.com
authors.forename: Hailu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meless
authors.forename: Belete
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tegbaru
authors.forename: Tsehaynesh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Messele
authors.forename: Tesfaye
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tilahun
authors.forename: Wendelien
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dorigo-Zetsma
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Dawit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolday
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D000465:Algorithms; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005002:Ethiopia; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016495:Police; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011477:Sex Work; D013997:Time Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology