Acute HIV Infection --- New York City, 2008

This report discusses the medical approach to treating people with acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (AHI), a highly infectious phase of the disease, in New York City. It explains that AHI contributes to HIV transmission, as it is associated with a high level of viremia, although antibody tests may be negative or indeterminate. Diagnosis of AHI with individual or pooled nucleic acid amplification tests (p-NAAT) can help individuals to adopt behaviors that reduce transmission and facilitate partner referral for counseling and testing, and identify social networks of persons with elevated rates of HIV transmission. The report describes how the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene initiated p-NAAT screening at four sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics and increased HIV surveillance to determine AHI among newly reported cases.