case definition of HIV infection

Last edited 03/2018

case definition for HIV infection

WHO provides a simplified HIV case definition designed for reporting and surveillance

• adults and children 18 months or older HIV infection is diagnosed based on:
• positive HIV antibody testing (rapid or laboratory-based enzyme immunoassay). This is confirmed by a second HIV antibody test (rapid or laboratory-based enzyme immunoassay) relying on different antigens or of different operating characteristics;

and/or;

• positive virological test for HIV or its components (HIV-RNA or HIV-DNA or ultrasensitive HIV p24 antigen) confirmed by a second virological test obtained from a separate determination
  
  
• children younger than 18months HIV infection is diagnosed based on:
• positive virological test for HIV or its components (HIV-RNA or HIV-DNA or ultrasensitive HIV p24 antigen) confirmed by a second virological test obtained from a separate determination taken more than four weeks after birth
• positive HIV antibody testing is not recommended for definitive or confirmatory diagnosis of HIV infection in children until 18 months of age

Reference:

• (1) World Health Organization (WHO) 2007. WHO case definitions of HIV for surveillance and revised clinical staging and immunological classification of HIV-related disease in adults and children