THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) experts after examining all lab reports of the nine year old girl who was suspected to have contracted HIV infection at RCC, had recommended repeat tests at the Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore more than a month ago. But the authorities had not drawn samples till her death on Wednesday.
The Kerala State AIDS Control Society had also asked the RCC which had treated the child earlier to obtain the samples. However, the RCC authorities had failed to do so saying that the girl was no longer under their treatment. Experts said had the lab tests on the samples taken for repeat, there could have been more clarity on the HIV status of the patient was who was suffering from leukaemia.
It may be recalled that during the course of treatment in August 2017, a test conducted for HIV had been found to be positive. But the tests carried out later could not detect the infection. The viral load test conducted at NACO-approved centre in Tambaram did not indicate whether the child was infected or not.
The test can only decide on the treatment part of the patient. Only severity of the infection is indicated. If the viral load is less than 50 copies of HIV per ml then it is difficult to detect the virus. In such a situation the result would be “undetectable viral load”. Just because viral load test has not detected virus does not mean that the child is HIV negative. The viral load test is not for detection but only for monitoring treatment.
