Expert: Terry B - 8/31/2006

Question
Hello,

I just would like to know this if you have the answer, hiv-2 is known for late progression but does that extend the seroconversion period in comparing it with hiv-1 ?

thank you  

Answer
Thank you for your excellent question.  You sent me on a literature search - the research on HIV-2 is much less thorough than that on HIV-1.  Part of the reason is that few cases of HIV-2 have been diagnosed in the US and are, for the most part, most common in Western Africa.  We did have a patient at our clinic in the 1990's who was HIV-2 positive and had to send out of country to get viral load; also, the effectivity of HAART on HIV-2 is not as well studied or documented.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), standard antibody testing (ELISA) is also less accurate in identifying HIV-2.  There are approved tests for HIV-1 and HIV-2 available, though not routinely used.  Initial survey of the information available suggests that time for seroconversion (recommended three months for greatest accuracy) is similar for both.

For more information, consider visiting the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and/or the CDC websites for specifics, including the names of rapid (one hour) tests for both HIV-1 and HIV-2.

I hope this was helpful, and again, thank you for an excellent question!

Terry