Researchers in South Korea have evaluated whether rapid diagnostic tests can help forensic pathologists screen for blood-borne infections during autopsies, finding that the tests may be useful for preliminary screening but cannot reliably rule out infection.
The study was published on November 11, 2026, in the peer-reviewed journal Microbiology Spectrum.
Researchers from Sungkyunkwan University and Seoul National University examined the performance of lateral flow immunoassays, a type of rapid test commonly used to detect viral antigens or antibodies.
Forensic autopsies can expose medical examiners and mortuary personnel to biological hazards, particularly when the deceased person's medical history is incomplete or unavailable.
The researchers focused on three infections of occupational concern: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
They analyzed specimens from 309 forensic autopsy cases, including blood, liver and spleen samples.
Rapid test findings were compared with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results, which detect and measure viral genetic material.
The researchers investigated whether the accuracy of rapid screening varied depending on specimen type, decomposition and viral load.
The results showed that agreement between rapid testing and molecular testing differed across the viruses and biological materials examined.
Blood samples demonstrated substantial agreement for HIV and hepatitis C antibody detection, while liver and spleen specimens generally produced less consistent results.
Decomposition also affected performance.
Fresh specimens typically showed higher rapid-test positivity rates than decomposed specimens, suggesting that postmortem changes may reduce the reliability of some screening results.
The researchers additionally examined whether viral load influenced the likelihood of obtaining a positive rapid-test result.
Among specimens meeting predefined molecular positivity criteria, samples with higher viral loads were generally more likely to produce positive rapid-test results.
This association reached statistical significance for hepatitis B testing in liver specimens.
The findings indicate that rapid testing could provide useful preliminary information during forensic examinations, especially when suitable postmortem blood is available.
However, the study identified an important limitation: a negative rapid-test result does not establish that the deceased person was free from infection.
Low viral loads, decomposition and differences between specimen types may contribute to false-negative screening results.
The authors therefore emphasized that molecular confirmation remains necessary when reliable infection-status determination is required.
Rapid screening should also complement, rather than replace, established infection-control precautions during autopsy procedures.
The study provides evidence to guide the interpretation of point-of-care testing in forensic pathology, where tests developed primarily for clinical settings may behave differently in postmortem material.
Its findings support further evaluation of rapid diagnostic methods while highlighting the importance of specimen selection and cautious interpretation.