Washington: Researchers have recently developed a unique test that can detect HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C from a single drop of blood.
Hepatitis B or C claim over a million lives each year. Every year about 6,50,000 people die from HIV-related causes.
The most common test for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV involves taking a blood sample from a vein using a needle. While this method works extremely well, there is a potentially large reservoir of the three conditions in places where this method is not suitable.
Alternatives include dried blood spot tests, in which a single spot of blood is tested for nucleic acid from the three viruses.
To do the test, the individual's finger is pricked and a few spots of blood collected on filter paper and allowed to dry.
"The dried blood spot test is ideal for places where you don't want to use a needle for safety reasons or where it is less practical. This includes prisons, drug rehabilitation centres and homeless shelters.
"It is also suitable for developing countries or places where you run the risk of a blood sample being ruined before it is transferred to a laboratory that can analyse it."
One must remember that blood samples need to be analysed within six hours when kept at room temperature, while dried blood spots can last for nine months without refrigeration." (with ANI inputs)
