Popis: |
North Carolina locates acute HIV cases by pooled nucleic acid testing of HIV- antibody negative serum samples. Here, 224 pools of 80 HIV-negative samples (N=17,920) were screened for viral RNA from HCV, GBV-C, and influenza A. No evidence of influenza A was found, but HCV and GBV-C were common (1.2% and 1.7% prevalence, respectively), demonstrating the utility of pooled testing in locating individuals that may remain undiagnosed otherwise. By sequencing positive pools, potential transmission clusters may be located as well. |