Subscribe now

Health

Single test reveals how fast HIV is spreading

By Clare Wilson

1 May 2004

A WAY of rapidly tracking the spread of HIV will allow health workers to focus prevention campaigns on people and in places where the risk of infection is highest. Such a method has been sought for many years.

“This is a significant advance,” says Roy Anderson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College, London, who wants the UK to start using the method. “It’s very useful in tracking trends.”

With existing antibody tests you can work out how many people in a population are infected at any one time. But until now only a series of these tests could reveal how fast…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop