Next Article in Journal
Biocontrol Potential of Bacillus velezensis RS65 Against Phytophthora infestans: A Sustainable Strategy for Managing Tomato Late Blight
Next Article in Special Issue
A Mysterious Health Crisis in Aswan Governorate, Southern Egypt, September 2024: A Case Report
Previous Article in Journal
Optimisation of Potato Dextrose Agar Culture Medium for Actinobacteria Growth
Previous Article in Special Issue
Nipah Virus: A Zoonotic Threat Re-Emerging in the Wake of Global Public Health Challenges
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Microorganisms
Volume 13
Issue 3
10.3390/microorganisms13030655
microorganisms-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Outpatient Testing for HIV in Italy, 2018–2023—Preliminary Data

by
Claudio Galli
1,*,
Vincenza Regine
2,
Anna Caraglia
3,
Francesca Centrone
4,
Maria Chironna
5,
Gianluca Cruschelli
6,
Massimo Farinella
7,
Valentina Annachiara Orlando
5,
Chiara Pasqualini
8,9,
Monia Puglia
10,
Lucia Pugliese
2,
Laura Rancilio
11,
Lara Tavoschi
6,
Fabio Voller
10 and
Barbara Suligoi
2
1
Independent Researcher, 00139 Rome, Italy
2
AIDS Operations Center, Department of Infectious Diseases, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
3
Former General Directorate of Health Prevention, Ministry of Health, 00144 Rome, Italy
4
Hygiene Operational Unit, Policlinico Consorziale di Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
5
Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
6
Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
7
Mario Mieli, LGBTQIA+ Culture Center, 00146 Rome, Italy
8
Piedmont Regional Service for the Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (SeREMI), 15121 Alessandria, Italy
9
Research and Innovation Department (DAIRI), “SS Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo” University Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
10
Tuscany Regional Health Agency (Agenzia Regionale di Sanità, ARS), 50141 Florence, Italy
11
Caritas Ambrosiana, 20122 Milan, Italy
 
add Show full affiliation list
 
remove Hide full affiliation list
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Microorganisms 2025, 13(3), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030655
Submission received: 18 February 2025 / Revised: 28 February 2025 / Accepted: 12 March 2025 / Published: 13 March 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Human Infections and Public Health)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

HIV testing is crucial towards the control of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. Monitoring trends of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing over time may help interpret the incidence of new HIV diagnoses and effectiveness of HIV testing strategies. We started a research project aimed at assessing testing rates for HIV infection among Italian outpatients in 2018–2023. Numeric data for screening, confirmatory, and monitoring tests obtained by a national register were compared with the numbers of adult residents, newly diagnosed HIV infections, and patients undergoing treatment. The number of screening tests declined from 1,133,377 in 2018 to 889,972 in 2020 and increased to 1,096,822 in 2023. HIV-RNA tests showed a similar pattern, whereas confirmatory immunoblots did not vary significantly over time. The ratio of screening tests to adult residents was higher in North-West (2.87%) and North-East (2.31%) Italy compared to South Italy and the islands (1.47%), indicating that screening should be enhanced in the latter area. We observed differences between the ratio of screening tests and the incidence of newly diagnosed HIV infections by geographic area. Discrepancies in the number of screening and confirmatory tests needed for each new diagnosis suggest repeated testing on people already diagnosed and possible data reporting issues. The monitoring of HIV screening tests at the national and regional levels can provide essential data to interpret trends in HIV epidemiology and plan relevant testing strategies over time.
Keywords: HIV diagnosis; HIV testing; HIV epidemiology; diagnostic algorithms; population screening; supplemental tests HIV diagnosis; HIV testing; HIV epidemiology; diagnostic algorithms; population screening; supplemental tests

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Galli, C.; Regine, V.; Caraglia, A.; Centrone, F.; Chironna, M.; Cruschelli, G.; Farinella, M.; Orlando, V.A.; Pasqualini, C.; Puglia, M.; et al. Outpatient Testing for HIV in Italy, 2018–2023—Preliminary Data. Microorganisms 2025, 13, 655. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030655

AMA Style

Galli C, Regine V, Caraglia A, Centrone F, Chironna M, Cruschelli G, Farinella M, Orlando VA, Pasqualini C, Puglia M, et al. Outpatient Testing for HIV in Italy, 2018–2023—Preliminary Data. Microorganisms. 2025; 13(3):655. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030655

Chicago/Turabian Style

Galli, Claudio, Vincenza Regine, Anna Caraglia, Francesca Centrone, Maria Chironna, Gianluca Cruschelli, Massimo Farinella, Valentina Annachiara Orlando, Chiara Pasqualini, Monia Puglia, and et al. 2025. "Outpatient Testing for HIV in Italy, 2018–2023—Preliminary Data" Microorganisms 13, no. 3: 655. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030655

APA Style

Galli, C., Regine, V., Caraglia, A., Centrone, F., Chironna, M., Cruschelli, G., Farinella, M., Orlando, V. A., Pasqualini, C., Puglia, M., Pugliese, L., Rancilio, L., Tavoschi, L., Voller, F., & Suligoi, B. (2025). Outpatient Testing for HIV in Italy, 2018–2023—Preliminary Data. Microorganisms, 13(3), 655. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030655

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop