Genetic Test Can Detect HIV In Newly Infected

A major snag in tests for the virus that causes AIDS is that they often fail when people are newly infected. That may be about to change. Researchers now say they want to use a genetic test that can unmask HIV cases that might otherwise be missed. The secondary test should help doctors alert to more HIV-positive people in the early stages of their disease and prevent them from infecting others at a time when they're highly contagious, said Dr. Frances Priddy, the study lead author and an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. "We're really missing a chance to diagnose these people and counsel them about behavioral changes," she added. The findings were to be presented Friday at the 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston.