Abstract
Dear Editor, The request for details of the validation trial using the Roche COBAS Ampliscreen HIV-1 test version 1.5 (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Branchburg, NJ, USA) on dried blood spots (DBS) is appreciated. Given the paper’s focus on a broad, systems-based evaluation of risk of HIV transmission by blood transfusion in Kenya, only a limited description of the validation trial was offered. With this response, we present details of the validation trial and an expanded discussion on the potential use of DBS in centralized blood screening in resource-limited settings. Allain et al. [1] raise important questions regarding the comparable effectiveness of third and fourth generation assays in detecting HIV infection in donated blood. The objective of this evaluation, however, was not to judge the effectiveness of fourth generation assays, but to evaluate the risk of HIV transmission owing to laboratory error or window period donation in Kenya given the donor selection and blood screening algorithms used by the Kenya National
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