Hiv Qualitative Blood Test in Mumbai

According to CDC guidelines, the following are the indications to get HIV 2 RT Qualitative Blood test:

• The person belongs to an area with a high prevalence of HIV-2
• Individuals with a history of sharing needles or having sexual partners known to be infected with HIV-2 or belong to endemic areas
• Patient with a history of transfusions or other non-sterile medical care from endemic areas
• Children born to a woman with known risk factors for HIV-2 infection.

Your doctor can advise you to take HIV 2 RT Qualitative Blood in the following clinical scenarios:

• In diagnosing HIV-2 virus infection in suspected patients at an early stage
• It can guide the doctor to start antiretroviral medicines specific to HIV 2 infection
• It can help diagnose or eliminate doubts of suspected infection in children born to HIV 2 seropositive mothers

There are two major types of the human immunodeficiency virus, namely; HIV-1, which is prevalent worldwide, and HIV-2, which is more than 55% genetically dissimilar from HIV-1.
HIV-2 is most commonly found in western Africa. Although the presence of infected individuals with HIV-2 is less, it is relatively becoming more common in India.

Owing to the difference in genetics, HIV-1, and HIV-2 antigens are also dissimilar, so a diagnostic test that is developed only to detect HIV-1 will not be competent enough to detect HIV-2. Currently, tests that are sensitive to both types of virus, HIV-1 and HIV-2 are available.

The guidelines mandate to use of a test that is sensitive to HIV-2, particularly when testing an individual who has lived in a country where HIV-2 is prevalent or has had a sexual partner belonging to one of those countries. Additionally, using tests sensitive in detecting HIV-2 becomes more important, if a person has clinical signs of HIV infection but the test, which is sensitive only to HIV-1, comes negative.

Moreover, the line of treatment potent for HIV-1 is not effective for HIV-2. Antiretroviral drugs such as the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) class are not active against HIV-2. This type of HIV should be treated with an integrase inhibitor, or a protease inhibitor regimen, including efavirenz, rilpivirine, doravirine, etravirine and nevirapine.