Given the continuing high level of concern among health professionals and the general public about issues related to AIDS, this volume on testing for AIDS and related viruses is extremely timely. The book has been written by experts in the area of AIDS testing, many of whom are at the Centers for Disease Control. The book includes several chapters which compare the different laboratory tests available for detecting the AIDS virus (HIV). It also addresses such topics as ethical considerations in AIDS testing, HIV infection in children, testing for other human viruses related to HIV, safety...

During the two years since the publication of the first edition of this book, the global spread of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has continued. HIV was estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1993 to have at least 13 million individuals worldwide, with 1 million infected infected in the United States. HIV/AIDS in the United States has become the leading cause of death among men 25 to 44 years of age and the fifth leading cause of death among women of the same age group. Prevention of HIV infection remains a global challenge. Testing for...