Early detection of HIV infection among Kenyan infants using a reverse transcriptase activity assay.

Two hundred HIV-exposed Kenyan infants were tested for HIV infection at birth and at age 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks, by DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Cavidi reverse transcriptase (RT) assays and after age 18 months by HIV antibody test. Eleven (5.5%) infants became HIV infected. In 6 infants, positive RT preceded positive DNA PCR. The use of RT assay may facilitate earlier HIV diagnosis in infants.