De Oliveira, Tulio De Paiva Nazareth Andrade.Singh, Lavanya.2014-07-032014-07-0320132013http://hdl.handle.net/10413/11003Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.Infection with HIV-2 has important implications for the diagnosis, treatment and management of the infection. The objective of this study was to describe the seroprevalence and molecular epidemiology of HIV-2 in KwaZulu-Natal – the province with the highest HIV prevalence in South Africa, which in turn is the country with the highest HIV prevalence in the world. HIV-1 positive samples were screened using a rapid test for HIV-2. Samples showing antibody positivity were subject to molecular confirmation by PCR and / or serological confirmation by Western blot. There was a large difference in results (10.6% by Western blotting versus 0% by PCR). This discrepancy between molecular and serological confirmation by Western blot. There was a large difference in results (10.6% by Western blotting versus 0% by PCR). This discrepancy between molecular and serological confirmation was attributed to cross-reacting antibodies. The use of rapid tests and Western blots for HIV-2 diagnosis in South Africa, should, therefore, be interpreted with caution. Based on the results of this study, HIV-2 is most probably not present in KwaZulu-Natal.en-ZAHIV infections--KwaZulu-Natal--EpidemiologyTheses--Virology.Thesis