Multidisease testing for HIV and TB using the GeneXpert platform: A feasibility study in rural Zimbabwe.

ABSTRACT:

Background

HIV Viral Load and Early Infant Diagnosis technologies in many high burden settings are restricted to centralized laboratory testing, leading to long result turnaround times and patient attrition. GeneXpert (Cepheid, CA, USA) is a polyvalent near point-of-care platform and is widely implemented for Xpert MTB/RIF diagnosis. This study sought to evaluate the operational feasibility of integrated HIV VL, EID and MTB/RIF testing in new GeneXpert platforms.

Methods

Whole blood samples were collected from consenting patients due for routine HIV VL testing and DBS samples from infants due for EID testing, at three rural health facilities in Zimbabwe. Sputum samples were collected from all individuals suspected of TB. GeneXpert testing was reserved for all EID, all TB sus

SUBMITTER: Ndlovu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5834185 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature