Open AccessPerformance of a novel rapid test for recent HIV infection among newly-diagnosed pregnant adolescent girls and young women in four high-HIV-prevalence districts—Malawi, 2017–2018
Author(s) -
Elfriede Agyemang,
Andrea A. Kim,
Trudy Dobbs,
Innocent Zungu,
Danielle Payne,
Andrew Maher,
Kathryn Curran,
Andrea A. Kim,
Hastings Kwalira,
Henry Limula,
Amitabh Adhikari,
Susie Welty,
James Kandulu,
Rose Nyirenda,
Andrew F. Auld,
George W. Rutherford,
Bharat Parekh
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0262071
Subject(s) - serostatus , medicine , population , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , viral load , window period , transmission (telecommunications) , incidence (geometry) , seroprevalence , immunology , antibody , pediatrics , serology , environmental health , physics , optics , electrical engineering , engineering
Tests for recent HIV infection (TRI) distinguish recent from long-term HIV infections using markers of antibody maturation. The limiting antigen avidity enzyme immunoassay (LAg EIA) is widely used with HIV viral load (VL) in a recent infection testing algorithm (RITA) to improve classification of recent infection status, estimate population-level HIV incidence, and monitor trends in HIV transmission. A novel rapid test for recent HIV infection (RTRI), Asanté™, can determine HIV serostatus and HIV recency within minutes on a lateral flow device through visual assessment of test strip or reader device. We conducted a field-based laboratory evaluation of the RTRI among pregnant adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) attending antenatal clinics (ANC) in Malawi.We enrolled pregnant AGYW aged 90% and >0.65 respectively indicating substantial agreement between the RITAs.This was the first field evaluation of an RTRI in sub-Saharan Africa, which demonstrated good performance of the assay and feasibility of integrating RTRI into routine HIV testing services for real-time surveillance of recent HIV infection.