Immunology can be defined as the study of the reactions of a host when foreign substances are introduced in the body. These foreign substances that induce such an immune response are called antigens. The scope of immunology has significantly broadened to include the study of Molecular mechanism for immune response, the development of testing for disease for disease states in the laboratory, the recognition that the body can responds to self-antigens in what is know as auto-immune disease, and the manipulation of the immune system for treatment of disease.
One of the most intractable of immunology’s problem today is a disease that attacks the immune system itself; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), cause by the retrovirus Human Immune Deficiency Virus.
The Immunology Department at Central Medical Laboratories performs serological testing and a range of Immunological assays. All immunoassays are performed on our current model of ChemWell 2910 version 6.2, most common of which is the Detect Elisa for routine screening of HIV 1&2. Positive HIV’s are confirmed using two (2) Ministry of Health (M.O.H) recommended kits.
The department boasts a cadre of three trained, certified Medical Technologist and one Technical Assistant. The department strives to maintain the organization’s goal of excellence and seeks to provide quality results to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.