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  • Title: New test for AIDS.
    Author: Charbonneau R.
    Journal: IDRC Rep; 1991 Jul; 19(2):22-3. PubMed ID: 12284391.
    Abstract:
    Initial results of research indicate that the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) in Washington, D.C. has developed an HIV-1 screening test, the HIV ImmunoDot Test, appropriate to conditions in developing countries. This means it's affordable, quick, simple, and can be manufactured in developing countries. The need for such a test is based on the occurrence of HIV transmission through blood transfusions to anemic women and children, which is a leading cause of hospitalization. It is reported that in the hospital Mama Yemo of Kinshasa, Zaire that 12,800 transfusions were performed annually in 1985/6, of which 560 children contracted the AIDs virus that same year. The rate is 15% of patients compared to 2% for Europe. Although the number of transfusions in this hospital have declined, blood from donors is frequently contaminated by hepatitis, malaria, syphilis, or HIV-1. The HIV ImmunoDot Test produces results in 20 minutes. It is highly sensitive; easy to interpret, requires no refrigeration, special equipment or instruments; and costs 25 US cents. Manufacturing plans are being developed for its manufactured in developing countries. The test consists of 8 teeth or tabs on a comb activated by a synthetic peptide derived from the GP41 molecule and allows for testing 8 serum samples simultaneously. The comb may be cut to test fewer samples. The procedure involves setting the comb in the blood specimens for 10 minutes at ambient temperature. Then it is washed in a saline solution and set to incubate for 10 minutes in an indicator reagent. After this, it is washed again in a saline solution, and read after it has dried. A red dot indicates contact with HIV positive serum. The cost for a production run of 500,000 is 12 US cents per unit test compared to the ELISA test of 207 US dollars per unit test. The PATH ImmunoDot Test is stable for up to a year at ambient temperatures typical in Equatorial Africa. The test occasionally shows positive results when it is not (98.2% specificity). Such tests are rare enough that followup with ELISA or Western Blot can confirm accurate results. It is preferable to discard a unit of blood than to transmit the virus. The research was part of an international collaborative effort.
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