Abstract
Dried blood spots (DBS) on filter paper have been used as a practical method of sample collection in sero-surveillance studies of numerous diseases. DBS may be particularly useful for HIV screening in remote areas, in which unrefrigerated transfer time to a laboratory may take a number of days. In this study, we evaluate the ability to detect human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type-1 antibodies from DBS that have been subjected to a tropical climate in southern India for 6 days. DBS were prepared from blood samples of 59 known HIV-positive individuals and 30 known HIV-negative individuals. ELISA and Western blot results from DBS that were subjected to a mean temperature of 35.8°C and humidity of 73% for 6 days had a sensitivity of 100% and 92%, respectively, and a specificity of 100% and 100%, respectively. Based on these findings, we conclude that DBS sampling could serve as a cost-effective and convenient tool for widespread HIV sero-surveillance in remote areas within tropical countries.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 25-28 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | International Journal of STD and AIDS |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2002 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Dried blood spots
- HIV
- HIV surveillance
- India
- Laboratory tool
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Dermatology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology (medical)