Nov 29, 2007

CBC News
The manufacturer of a new rapid HIV test wants the Quebec government to make the device available throughout the province.

AIDS experts in Montreal say the 60-second test, which is approved by Health Canada, could encourage more people at high risk to be tested.

Quebec health authorities want the 60-second HIV test available in the province. (Courtesy of Smith Biotech) The test is the only Canadian-made rapid HIV test approved for use in Canada. It involves taking a single drop of blood from the tip of the finger and mixing it with liquid from a couple of vials. The result is virtually immediate.

Matthew Clayton, chief operating officer of Biolytical Laboratories, the manufacturer of the test, said it's proven to work. "The test is shown to be 99.96 per cent accurate — that is actually exceeding the level of HIV testing accuracy province to province."

Clayton said Canada is well behind other G8 countries when it comes to introducing rapid HIV testing.

Doctor Mark Wainberg, head of the McGill AIDS centre at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, said faster results will lead to better prevention. "Informing somebody that they're positive has very positive ramifications for public health, and that's why this test is such a plus. We'll be able to inform people of their status right away."

Wainberg wants the Quebec government to approve the 60-second test. The McGill AIDS centre is already planning to set up two clinics in Montreal where those at a high risk to contract the virus can be tested on the spot.

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