TABLE 1.
Summary of diagnostic testing by antigen-capture ELISA and RT-PCR during the EHF outbreak in Gulu, Uganda
Assay | No. of samples tested | No. of positive samples | No. of false positivesa | No. of false negativesb | No. of PCR+ Ag+ samples | No. of PCR+ Ag− samples
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Early detection | Late detection | ||||||
Antigen-capture ELISA | 1,771 | 282 | 1 | 0 | |||
RT-PCR | 1,083 | 246 | 3e | 4 | |||
Total | 196 | 17c | 20d |
False positives were defined as samples that initially tested positive by a particular assay but tested negative with a subsequent sample from the same patient and for which all other diagnostic tests were and continued to be negative.
False negatives were defined as samples that tested negative by nested RT-PCR and positive by antigen capture.
Represents 13 patients for which the maximum time between PCR+ Ag− samples was 72 to 96 h.
Represents 18 patients for which the maximum time between PCR+ Ag− samples was 48 to 72 h.
There were an additional 10 potential false positives that were unresolvable.