Evaluation of rapid prenatal human immunodeficiency virus testing in rural cameroon.
Pregnant women (n = 859) in rural Cameroonian prenatal clinics were screened by two rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody tests (rapid tests [RT]) (Determine and Hema-Strip) using either whole blood or plasma. One additional RT (Capillus, HIV-CHEK, or Sero-Card) was used to resolve discordant results. RT results were compared with HIV-1 enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and Western blot (WB) results of matched dried blood spots (DBS) to assess the accuracy of HIV RTs. DBS EIA/WB identified 83 HIV antibody-reactive, 763 HIV antibody-nonreactive, and 13 indeterminate specimens. RT results were evaluated in serial (two consecutive tests) or parallel (two simultaneous tests) testing algorithms. A serial algorithm using Determine and Hema-Strip yielded sensitivity and specificity results of 97.6% and 99.7%, respectively, whereas a parallel RT algorithm using Determine plus a second RT produced a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 99.7%, respectively. HIV RTs provide excellent alternatives for identifying HIV infection, and their field performance could be monitored using DBS testing strategies.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., NE MS D-12, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. Tgranade@cdc.gov
Timothy C
TC
Granade
Bharat S
BS
Parekh
Pius M
PM
Tih
Thomas
T
Welty
Edith
E
Welty
Marc
M
Bulterys
George
G
Ndikintum
Godlove
G
Nkuoh
Samuel
S
Tancho
D000465:Algorithms; D002163:Cameroon; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis
D015483:HIV Antibodies