ELISA FALSE POSITIVITY IN RELATION TO HIV -1 PREVALENCE IN ETHIOPIA

ABSTRACT: A close investigation of data accumulated over several years at the National Referral Laboratory for AIDS (NRLA), revealed a certain pattern in the number of false positive results that occur in population groups with a given prevalence of HIV -1 infection. To provide more accurate information regarding this observation 8850 serum samples from females with multi-partner sexual contact (MPSC) residing in different regions of Ethiopia with varying HIV -1 prevalence rates, were collected and tested using 1st and 2nd generation enzyme immunoassays (EIA) and a western blot. The results obtained from this study suggest that the rate of the occurrence of false positive enzyme linked imrnuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) results during laboratory testing for HIV -1 antibody is (regardless of the quality of antigen used) inversely proportional to the prevalence of HIV-l in a given population group

HIV-1 INFECTION AMONG EMPLOYEES OF THE ETHIOPIAN FREIGHT TRANSPORT CORPORATION

SUMMARY: In the study on HIV-l infection conducted in July 1988, 995 long distance truck drivers, their assistants, and lorry technicians employed by the Ethiopian Freight Transport Corporation (EFTC) were enrolled. 89.4% of trips made by the drivers were along the Addis Ababa -Assab road. The HIV prevalence rates were 13% among 468 drivers, 12.9% among 209 drivers assistants, and 4.1% among 318 technicians. The prevalence rate among those who served for < 5 yrs was 4.7% (n = 297) .Those who served longer in the Corporation (82.9% of whom are drivers) had a mean prevalence rate of 12.5% (n=698). Drivers had more sexual partners and more frequently experienced sexually transmitted diseases than the technicians. The study indicated that the long distance truck drivers in Ethiopia practiced frequent contacts with female sex workers. They were at a significantly higher risk to acquire HIV infection than the technicians employed at the same corporation