Background: Screening of populations for the antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus has been recommended to be a practical method for assessing the prevalence of the infection and its potential for spread.
Methods: Between 1987 and 1989 we carried out a serological survey for the detection of antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1, using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, to screen 2123 persons belonging to different high-risk groups from various parts of Bombay.
Results: Eighty-four repeatedly positive samples were subjected to the Western blot test for confirmation and 58 were found to be positive-4 (0.6%) out of 670 in 1987, 9(1.2%) out of 740 in 1988 and 45 (6.3%) out of 713 in 1989.
Conclusion: These data indicate that the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection has already spread in the cityof Bombay among the various high-risk groups and that its prevalence rose between 1987 and 1989.