US authority green lights new AIDS screening method

The Food and Drug Administration in the United States has approved a new screening method to guard against HIV infection via the use of donated blood and tissue.

The cobas TaqScreen MPX test is the first nucleic acid method to check for two types of divergent forms of HIV.

Jesse L. Goodman, director of the FDA's centre for biologics evaluation and research, said: "With the MPX test, blood donor testing laboratories will be able to use nucleic acid technology to screen for additional HIV strains, further assuring that donated blood and tissue are free from infection and providing better protection for patients."

The new method will check for the signs of HIV-2 and from HIV-1 Group O, infection of which are predominately found on the African continent but have also been located in the US.

It is intended for use for donated blood plasma and tissues specimens from still-beating hearts.