[ Up ] [ Introduction ] [ How Hiv infect ] [ How Does Hiv Spread ] [ How Hiv is Not Transmitted ] [ What are Symptoms of Aids ] [ How Hiv Can be Detected ] [ Care of Hiv / Aids Patient ] [ How can Hiv be Prevented ] [ Conclusion ]
HOW
HIV CAN BE DETECTED
You can
not tell by looking at person’s face whether he or she is infected with
HIV. The infected person looks perfectly healthy and feel well for years.
The infection can only be detected by doing a blood test i.e. ELISA HIV
antibody test. If someone is found to be positive by ELISA and confirmed
by second test (done on different blood sample and by different method)
the person is said to be seropositive.
SPOT
TEST:
This is simple rapid test
for finding out the HIV status of a person in which the result can be
given to the patient within half an hour. Rarely there are chances of a
false positive report and hence a positive report should be confirmed by
doing ELISA test.
WESTERN
BLOT (WB) TEST:
Specialized
and costly confirmatory test for HIV. Done only to confirm a positive
ELISA or SPOT test report. Ever since the standard of ELISA and SPOT test
has improved the role of this test seems to be very little in diagnosis of
HIV infection.
CD4
AND VIRAL LOAD TESTING:
Very
costly tests and done only in those affording patients who are willing to
start anti-HIV (antiretroviral) drugs.
It is
mandatory to do pre-test and post-test counselling of all the patients
before and after the test respectively.
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