SINGAPORE, Dec 1, 2008 (AFP) - The number of HIV cases in Singapore is likely to hit record levels in 2008 as more go for tests to detect the virus, the government said.
There were 382 new cases of HIV infections in the first 10 months of the year among local residents, the ministry of health said on its website.
"In comparison, there were 423 HIV cases notified for the whole of 2007," the statement said.
"It can be expected that the total number of notified HIV cases in 2008 will exceed that of last year."
Last year's total was the highest in a single year since records began in 1985.
As of October, a total of 3,865 people in Singapore were found infected with HIV, including at least 1,144 who later died.
Singapore has toughened health laws in a bid to stem the spread of AIDS, which is commonly transmitted by unprotected sex.
Since this year, it is an offence for people who know they are infected with the virus not to inform their partners of their status before engaging in sexual intercourse.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS, which breaks down the body's immune system, leaving an infected individual vulnerable to a range of diseases. AIDS has no known cure.
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