A rapid, one step test for the qualitative detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) type-1 and/or type-2 in serum or plasma.
HIV is the etiologic agent of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Of all the HIV types, HIV type 1 has been isolated from patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex, and from healthy people with a high risk for developing AIDS and HIV type 2 has been isolated from West African AIDS patients and from seropositive asymptomatic individuals. Both HIV-1 and -2 elicit immune responses in human. Testing human serum or plasma for the presence of HIV antibodies has proven an effective aid in determining whether an individual has been exposed to HIV and in screening blood products for possible HIV contamination.