ABAcard HemaTrace
Definition
A commercial lateral-flow strip that detects human haemoglobin alpha-chain using a monoclonal antibody. Validated for forensic blood identification, with documented cross-reactivity to ferret and some higher-primate blood. Produced by Abacus Diagnostics.
- Target
- Human haemoglobin (alpha chain)
- Format
- Lateral-flow strip
- Antibody type
- Monoclonal
- Manufacturer
- Abacus Diagnostics
Common questions
Does a positive HemaTrace result prove the stain is human blood?+
It is a strong presumptive indicator, but documented cross-reactivity with ferret blood and some higher-primate blood means a positive result is not absolutely species-exclusive, so it is typically followed by DNA typing for confirmation.
Where does this test sit in a bloodstain examination workflow?+
It is used as a rapid presumptive or species-confirmatory screening step, applied before committing a stain to more time-consuming and sample-consuming DNA analysis.
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