Premium
Absence of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 infection among patients in a hospital serving a New York community at high risk for infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Bronx‐Lebanon Hospital Center HIV Serosurvey Team
Author(s) -
Irwin K. L.,
Olivo N.,
Schable C.,
Weber J. T.,
Janssen R.,
Ernst J.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1996.36896374378.x
Subject(s) - medicine , population , immunology , transmission (telecommunications) , viral disease , antibody , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , virology , environmental health , electrical engineering , engineering
BACKGROUND: Although human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV‐2) infection among United States residents is considered rare, there are US populations at high risk. Few studies have surveyed these populations with a high likelihood of infection, that is, those with high percentages of persons from HIV‐2‐endemic areas and high prevalences of behaviors that would allow for transmission. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients (n = 832) enrolled in a confidential HIV serosurvey at a hospital that serves a community with a relatively high percentage of West African immigrants, drug injectors, and persons who practice high‐risk sexual activity were evaluated. Sera were tested for HIV type 1 (HIV‐1) and HIV‐2 by rapid enzyme immunoassays, standard enzyme immunoassays and Western blots. RESULTS: Eight of 832 patients were weakly reactive to HIV‐2 on rapid assay, but none was confirmed to be infected when tested by standard immunoassay and Western blot. Five of these eight were reactive to HIV‐1. CONCLUSION: Weak reactivity to HIV‐2 antibody on the rapid assay is best explained by cross‐reactivity with HIV‐1 antibody; thus, even in this population at high risk for infection, false‐positive reactions are more likely than true infections. The finding that HIV‐2 is absent in this population at potentially high risk for infection corroborates the findings of other studies that HIV‐2 infection is rare among US residents. These results support previous recommendations that, in settings other than blood collection facilities, HIV‐2 testing should be selectively offered to persons with epidemiologic risk factors.