EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF HIV IN INFANTS USING DRIED BLOOD SPOT- A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY FROM 2010 TO 2016

Abstract

BACKGROUNDMother-to-child transmission of HIV is a major cause of HIV in children. Detection of virus by DNA PCR is of utmost importance in <6 months of age as antibody detection is not helpful. Dried blood spot (DBS) method is a cheap, less invasive, easy and feasible method as compared to whole blood collection. Followup of babies up to 18 months is needed before declaring them negative. The study was undertaken to know the HIV transmission rates in babies up to 18 months.MATERIALS AND METHODSSample collection and processing was done strictly according to National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) guidelines.RESULTS55.36% HIV positive Antenatal care (ANC) females were in 20-24 years age group. 48.21% HIV Positive ANC females presented for the first time in 2nd trimester. 53.57% females were primigravida. In 55.36% cases, even spouse was positive for HIV. In 78.57% there was normal delivery. In year 2010, samples collected at 6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months were 33, 21, 21 and 20 respectively; and in year 2011 were 32, 18, 9, 29; in 2012 were 30, 28, 23, 16; in 2013 were 33, 30, 25, 14; in 2014 were 30, 14, 19, 23; in 2015 were 27, 21, 20, 14; in 2016 were 14, 17, 15, 12 respectively. The positivity rate at 6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months in 2010 were 1, 0, 1, 2; in 2011 were 4, 0, 0, 1; in 2012 were 2, 0, 0, 0; in 2013 were 1, 1, 0, 0; in 2014, there were no positive cases; in 2015 were 0, 1, 0, 0; and in 2016 were 0, 1, 0, 0 respectively.CONCLUSIONDecrease in positivity of samples in years 2014-2016 may be due to effective Prevention of Parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT) programme, increase in awareness amongst people, and early initiation of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART). The number of samples also reduced significantly in the year 2016. No deaths were recorded after 2011.