Rapid Oral Fluid HIV Antibody Testing in Exposed Babies: A Diagnostic Study

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Aims: The usefulness of rapid oral fluid HIV antibody tests has rarely been evaluated in exposed babies. Study Design: A diagnostic survey comparing the performance of oral fluid HIV antibody test and the routine rapid blood screening test. Place and Duration of Study: University College Hospital, Ibadan and Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, between May 2010 and April 2011. Methodology: The study involved children aged less than 18 months referred for screening in two large HIV care programmes in Nigeria using rapid antibody tests - an oral fluid test (Test A) and the routine blood test (Test B). The testing was blinded and HIV status was confirmed using DNA PCR. Results: A total of 94 children were studied with ages ranging from 0.13 to less than 18months. Out of the 94 parallel tests, when compared with DNA PCR, there were 7 (7.5%) discordant results. Test A gave one false positive, one false negative and no indeterminate result. Test B gave four false positive, one false negative and two indeterminate results. Test A had a sensitivity of 93.3%, specificity of 98.7%, positive