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Tag: hiv test

  • Rapid HIV Test Approved For the U.S.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved the first “rapid” HIV test that detects both HIV-1 p24 antigen and HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies. The “Alere Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo” test has been approved as an aid for the detection of HIV-1 and HIV-2, but is not intended to screen out blood donors.

    The test was designed as a quick way to detect HIV-positive people in “outreach settings,” such as kiosks or mobile clinics. It can also be a way for those not able to be traditionally tested to be screened for HIV.

    The new test is also the only FDA-approved test to distinguish between HIV-1 p24 antigen and HIV antibodies through the same test. The detection of antigen means the test can determine a possible HIV infection just days after exposure. The HIV antibodies that other quick tests find take longer to build up in the body.

    “This test helps diagnose HIV infection at an earlier time in outreach settings, allowing individuals to seek medical care sooner,” said Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Earlier diagnosis may also help to reduce additional HIV transmission.”

    HIV-1 is the most widespread version of HIV throughout the world. HIV-2 is primarily found in West Africa. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that around 20% of people positive for HIV in the U.S. have not been diagnosed.

    (Image courtesy Alere)

  • HIV Test Technology Could Lead To Early Detection

    HIV testing has long been a tedious thing for doctors and scientists, who generally use saliva tests which only detect the virus in its later stages. But now, a new method has been developed which could revolutionize the way testing is done in third-world countries, because it is simple to use, requires no expensive equipment, and is ten times more sensitive than any other test currently being used.

    “We would be able to detect infection even in those cases where previous methods, such as the saliva test, were rendering a ‘false negative’ because the viral load was too low to be detected,” researcher Molly Stevens said.

    The test itself works much like a standard home pregnancy test, with solution in a bottle turning red in the absence of the virus and blue when the virus is detected. It can also be adapted to test for other diseases, such as Tuberculosis and malaria.

    As of 2010, Africa was home to more than 23 million of those suffering with AIDS out of a worldwide total of 34 million, a number which is tragic and daunting to the researchers who are trying to find a way to treat those patients where resources are scarce. It’s possible that this new testing system will change all that.

    Stevens and her team plan to take the idea to several health agencies and non-profit organizations to help them distribute the tests throughout the world.

  • HIV Test For Babies Tested For Developing Nations

    A clinical trial of a new HIV drug test could improve the lives of both mothers and children in developing nations. The test delivers results in under one hour – far faster than conventional tests – and researchers hope it will increase the rate at which HIV positive infants are diagnosed and treated.

    The pending trial was announced this week by Northwestern University, where the research on the test took place. The trial will take place “soon” in Maputo, Mozambique, with nine other countries slated to begin trials after the results of the Mozambique trial are analyzed.

    “Our test provides while-you-wait results, and if a child is infected, he or she will begin treatment immediately, which is critical to survival,” said David Kelso, professor of biomedical engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern. “One and a half million infants in Africa and Asia are born to HIV-positive mothers each year, but only a fraction of the HIV-positive infants are identified in time to start treatment. While adults can manage the disease for decades, an infant who isn’t treated likely will die within a year or two.”

    The new test is a miniaturized version of the p24 HIV test. It was specifically designed for use in developing nations, is “easy-to-use,” and has a 95% accuracy rate, according to Northwestern. The test detects low levels of core protein 24, which is made by the virus.

    To perform the test, medical personnel take a drop of an infant’s blood and place it on a blood-separation membrane, which is then inserted into a small processor. Results come in just 30 minutes, with two black lines indicating the presence of HIV. The cost of the test is currently $15, though that price is expected to drop by as much as half as production volume increases.

    The technology behind the test was developed with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It is the first product to come out of the Northwestern Global Health Foundation, which Kelso helped found in 2010.

    “The Northwestern Global Health Foundation is a new sort of business: a nonprofit biotech company that helps manufacture and deliver health care products that wouldn’t turn enough profit to be attractive to traditional companies,” Kelso said. “If the foundation works, I think it’s an entirely new way to do business.”

    (Photo courtesy Northwestern University)

  • HIV Tests to Become More Routine

    HIV Tests to Become More Routine

    A recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is expected to suggest that HIV screenings become routine. The USPSTF is an independent panel of physicians who are experts in preventive medicine. The task force uses evidence-based medicine to make recommendations about preventive services to primary care physicians. A Reuters report cites anonymous health officials close to the panel as saying the suggestion could change the current procedure, which allows doctors to decide whether to screen a patient for HIV. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as “Obamacare,” insurance companies are required to cover services recommended by the USPSTF.

    While the CDC already advocates HIV testing for nearly all Americans, the USPSTF has stayed cautious on the issue, unsure of whether more testing should become a primary care method. The Reuters report quotes the USPSTF co-chair Dr. Michael LeFevre as stating new evidence has come to light in the last seven years. More specifically, there is now evidence that treating people infected with HIV can help prevent the spread of the Virus.

    Though nowhere near as widespread as in some places, such as Haiti or parts of Africa, HIV still poses a significant health risk to Americans. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1.2 million Americans have HIV, and one-fifth of those people (20%) don’t know they have it. The CDC estimates that 47,129 new cases of HIV were diagnosed in 2010.

    As methods for testing patients for HIV improve and become less expensive, more widespread testing is likely. The FDA just last month approved an over-the-counter HIV test. Dubbed the OraQuick, the test uses an oral swab and takes 30 to 40 minutes to produce results. The test could retail for as little as $60.

  • HIV Test: Over-the-Counter Version Approved by the FDA

    An HIV test approved for home use by the FDA is scheduled to become available to the American population this October, according to CBS News. OraQuick, which will be available at Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, and various online pharmacies, should run consumers no more than $60, though health professionals will be able to secure a test for roughly $17.50.

    “The availability of a home-use HIV test kit provides another option for individuals to get tested so that they can seek medical care, if appropriate,” explained Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Officials also stated the kits were being marketed to those who may not pursue testing through more traditional means.

    The OraQuick system detects HIV by collecting saliva on a mouth swab. Once the sample has been taken, users can expect results within 30 to 40 minutes. According to the FDA, the test is not 100% accurate; in trials, the system detected the virus in 92% of those who used it, meaning that it could miss one person for every 12 individuals who use the kit. On the flip side, OraQuick was able to rule out the virus in 99% of tests.

    In addition to the test, users will also have access to a call center should they require counseling and medical referrals upon receiving the results. “Each of the call-center operators is bilingual in English and Spanish, they’ve gone through 160 hours of training on HIV counseling and testing,” explained Oracare CEO Doug Michels. “So they are highly trained professionals and they’ll be there to support the consumer.”

    Presently, there are thought to be 1.2 million HIV carriers in the United States alone, one fifth of whom are not aware that they have contracted the virus.

  • WR Tweets HIV Results: STD Free and Proud of It

    WR tweets HIV results to the world, and everyone wonders why, exactly, someone would want to share that sort of personal information with their followers. Unless someone in your friends list is a potential partner somewhere down the line, I think most of them could have lived their entire lives knowing that you don’t have HIV or hepatitis. In my opinion, anyway.

    No matter. WR David Clowney — who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills –feared that he may have contracted the virus, so, like any concerned individual, he decided to have some blood work done. Elated with the results, he took a picture of the official paperwork and shared it on the micro-blogging website.

    Not surprisingly, it didn’t take very long for people to start making fun of WR’s decision to tweet this personal information, which understandably upset him and his fans. However, while it is admirable that Clowney decided to step up and make sure that his body was still in tip-top shape, choosing to inform complete strangers about this sort of thing is a little bizarre. Then again, maybe this is just a sign of the times.

    At any rate, WR David Clowney is free of STDs, so if you’re interested in hooking up, apparently you’ll walk away from the encounter without any nasty surprises. Rest assured that, should he test positive for something the next time around, he’s going to tell everyone about it. In other words, don’t be overwhelmingly surprised if you find yourself name-checked on the wide receiver’s Twitter page. You have been warned.

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