HIV-2 infections: a lesson in diagnostic test selection in Egypt

The first HIV-2 infection in an Egyptian national is documented in this report. Infection with HIV-2 was recognized only after a HIV-1 specific assay yielded negative results in an individual previously identified as being HIV-seropositive by a HIV-1/HIV-2 assay. This emphasizes the importance of using assays capable of detecting both HIV-1 and HIV-2 for testing blood supplies and diagnosis of HIV infections in regions where the prevalence of HIV-2 infections is extremely low

Evaluation of the need for RIBA confirmation of second generation ELISA HCV antibody results

Samples were collected in Egypt from professional and voluntary blood donors, pregnant women and transfused children, and tested by second generation Abbott ELISA for antibodies to hepatitis C virus [HCV]. A total of 331 sera with sample optical density [O.D.] /cut-off O.D. [S/CO] ratios greater than 1.0 [positive samples] were tested by RIBA-2 and the results compared. Overall, 75% of samples that were positive by ELISA were also positive by RIBA-2. Samples with high S/CO ratios were positive on RIBA-2 more frequently than samples with low S/CO ratios for samples with a high S/CO ratio [greater than 3], 231 of 260 [89%] were positive with RIBA-2, whereas 5 out of 44 [11%] samples with a low S/CO ratio [less than 2] were positive. Indeterminate RlBA-2 results were more often associated with a S/CO ratio of less than 3 than with a S/CO ratio of greater than 3. From this study conducted in Egypt, a setting with a high seroprevalence of HCV infections, the second generation ELISA can reliably be used to detect anti-HCV antibodies without the need for confirmation by more expensive tests