Annals of Global Health (Jul 2019)

Evaluation of Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Assessment of Hepatitis B in Resource-Limited Settings

  • James S. Leathers,
  • M. Belen Pisano,
  • Viviana Re,
  • Gertine van Oord,
  • Amir Sultan,
  • Andre Boonstra,
  • Jose D. Debes

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.2562
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 85, no. 1

Abstract

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Chronic Hepatitis B (HBV) is the most important cause of liver disease worldwide. There is a need for low-cost tests to aid in diagnosis and management of HBV infection in resource-limited settings. We evaluated the utility of several rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) in three different continents (Europe, South America, Africa). The HBsAg RDT showed optimal sensitivity and specificity. The anti-HBeAb RDT showed acceptable sensitivity and excellent specificity. Our results suggest that these RDTs could be used for screening and management of HBV.