Question

A patient was transfused blood from a person who turned out to be HIV positive. Which of the following methods would you recommend to the patient in order to test for the presence of HIV in his body?

• A. Complete blood count (CBC) test
• B. ELISA
• C. Widal test
• D. Mantoux test

Answer 1

The correct option is B ELISA

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the causative agent of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), characterised by a weakened immune system which makes the patient vulnerable to opportunistic infections that can prove to be fatal.

The presence of this virus in the patient can be tested with the help of Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in the body fluids such as blood, saliva or urine.

This technique is based on the principle of antigen-antibody reaction by detecting the presence of antibodies that the body produces against its invasion of virus.

Mantoux test is used for diagnosing the presence of tuberculosis bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis in an individual. It is a potential lung infection and the symptoms include coughing up blood and mucus, fever, chest pain, loss of appetite, etc. The pathogen spreads through tiny droplets released into the air via coughing or sneezing.

Widal test helps in the diagnosis of typhoid caused due to the bacterium Salmonella typhi. This intestinal infection is characterised by sustained fever, weakness, stomach pain, constipation , etc. It spreads through contaminated food and water.

The complete blood count (CBC) is a group of tests that evaluate the number of circulating blood cells, i.e, red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets (PLTs). This test helps to evaluate overall health and detect infections, anemia, leukemia, etc.