Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1985. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME
Adv Host Def Mech; 5:1-27 1985. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/85612995 Allen JR; Curran JW; Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control,; Atlanta, GA 30333
Abstract:
Epidemiology of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is discussed under the following headings and subheadings: opportunistic infections and Kaposi's sarcoma in homosexual men, surveillance of AIDS (definition of reporting cases; lymphadenopathy syndrome and the AIDS-related complex), disease trends and demographic characteristics of AIDS patients (incidence trends in the United States; risk factors; demographic features; geographic trends in the United States; opportunistic infections and cancers; mortality; AIDS in infants and young children), AIDS: a new infectious disease (transmission patterns; incubation period and infectivity; human T-lymphotropic virus), AIDS: an international problem, prevention of AIDS, and historical perspective on AIDS. Prevention of AIDS to date has been based predominantly on interrupting the presumed means of transmission; in particular, sexual contact with persons known or thought to have AIDS should be avoided, and having multiple sexual partners, especially anonymous partners, appears to increase the probability of being exposed to the disease. To ensure a safe blood supply for purposes of transfusion persons with an identified risk factor for AIDS should not donate plasma and/or blood until tests are available to provide reliable and specific screening of prospective donors. Specific recommendations for safe work practices for health-care personnel, laboratory workers, morticians, and others working directly with patients with AIDS have been published. With the discovery of the probable cause of AIDS, new information about the disease and the virus will be gained rapidly. With this information, specific recommendations can be made about the precautions that people should take to avoid infection and about the procedures to be followed for disinfecting contaminated surfaces. In addition, specific serologic tests and sophisticated epidemiologic studies will increase the of the natural history of AIDS and the risk factors for its transmission. (87 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/COMPLICATIONS/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/ MICROBIOLOGY/TRANSMISSION Adolescence Adult Aged Antibodies, Viral/ANALYSIS Child Child, Preschool Female Homosexuality Human HTLV-BLV Viruses/IMMUNOLOGY Infant Infection/COMPLICATIONS Lymphatic Diseases/COMPLICATIONS Male Middle Age Risk Sarcoma, Kaposi's/COMPLICATIONS Space-Time Clustering United States JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1985. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
