The human immunodeficiency viruses type 1 and type 2 are the etiological agents of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and related conditions. Infection with HIV is followed by an acute flu-like illness. This phase may remain unnoticed and the relationship to HIV infection may not be clear in many cases. The acute phase is typically followed by an asymptomatic carrier state, which progresses to clinical AIDS in about 50% of infected individuals within 10 years after seroconversion.

Serological evidence of infection with HIV may be obtained by testing for presence of HIV antigens or antibodies in serum of individuals suspected for HIV infection. Antigens can generally be detected during both acute phase and the symptomatic phase of AIDS only. The Antibodies to HIV-1 and/or HIV-2 can be detected throughout virtually the whole infection period, starting at, or shortly after the acute phase and lasting till the end stage of AIDS. Therefore, the use of highly sensitive antibody assays is the primary approach in serodiagnosis of HIV infection. Apart from sexual transmission, the principal route of infection with HIV is blood transfusion. HIV can present both in cellular and cell-free fractions of human blood. Therefore, all donations of blood or plasma should be tested due to the risk of HIV transmission through contaminated blood. 

Wantai HIV ELISAs are the screening kits that are used in over 85% of the blood banks in China. The only CE-marked HIV antibody ELISA produced in China according to CTS (2009).

The human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) was reported in 1980 as the first retrovirus shown to be pathogenic to humans. The virus prefere ntially infects CD4+ lymphocytes while the infections of CD8+ T lymphocytes are rare. In contrast to HTLV 1, HTLV type 2 can infect all type of lymphocytes as well as the macrophages. HTLV 1&2 is transmitted transplacentally, parenterally, by sexual contacts and by infected blood. HTLV 1 is endemic in Japan, the Caribbean and the US and many other scattered population through the world. HTLV 2 is endemic in some North American Indian tribes.

Wantai HTLV Ab ELISA is an antigen “sandwich” assay with simultaneous detection of multiple antibodies(including IgM). The test offers detection of both antibodies to HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 in 90minutes procedure. Sensitivity: 100%, specificity: 99.94%