Order rapid HSV tests by name from lab.(Gynecology)

SAN DIEGO -- Make sure to order commercially available herpes simplex virus serology tests from your laboratory by name because not all such tests are created equal, Dr. Anna Wald said during the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In fact, the accuracy of some is so poor that "you might as well toss a coin instead of spending the $100 or so on ordering these tests," said Dr. Wald, medical director of the virology research clinic at the University of Washington, Seattle.

One of the most popular type-specific gG-based serology commercial kits is the HerpeSelect ELISA test for HSV-1 and HSV-2 made by Focus, followed by the HerpeSelect Immunoblot for HSV-1 and HSV-2, also made by Focus; the biokitHSV-2, a 6-minute test designed for in-office use made by biokit USA Inc.; and Captia ELISA, a test for HSV-1 and HSV-2 made by Trinity, she said.

"So now there are two ELISA choices for laboratories that do a large number of samples: either HerpeSelect ELISA or Captia ELISA," said Dr. Wald, who said that she is not associated with any of the test manufacturers.

"We did the comparison of Captia and HerpeSelect, and [the results] looked very similar. So I think those tests are likely to be equivalent," she said.

All of the tests listed above are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are more sensitive in detecting HSV-2, compared with HSV-1.