Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1983. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The New York Times - May 19, 1983
Ronald Sullivan
Dr. Sencer, who said the worker did not fit into any of the major risk groups identified with the deadly illness, said he wanted to "allay any unnecessary alarm."
"If there were a great risk of spread to the general public, it would have happened by now," Dr. Sencer told a news conference at the Department of Health at 125 Worth Street.
He said it was possible the worker had contracted the illness by handling a contaminated syringe while picking up garbage, but he said there was no way of knowing the precise cause. 1,400 Cases Nationally
AIDS, which destroys the body's defenses against disease and which Dr. Sencer said, was "uniformly fatal" in most cases, was reported Monday by officials to have reached epidemic levels among homosexuals and intravenous drug users in New York. The national Centers for Disease Control have put the fatality rate at 38 percent.
Since 1979, when the syndrome was first diagnosed, 1,400 cases have been reported nationally. Half the cases have occurred in New York. Experts say that the number of cases is doubling every six months and that there could be as many as 20,000 victims by 1985, half in New York.
There are no known causes or cures for the syndrome. Dr. Sencer and other experts say they believe AIDS is transmitted only through sexual or intimate contact, the use of contaminated syringes or blood transmission.
About 75 percent of the victims are homosexual, 17 percent intravenous drug users, and the rest people who have had intimate contact with either group, such as sexual partners, spouses or children. The syndrome has also been identified with Haitians.
According to Dr. Sencer, the sanitation man is the fourth case in the city who does not fit in the known risk groups. He said the man, who was not named, is 26 years old and married, with three children. He worked in the Bronx and told health officials he frequently picked up garbage containing syringes, but did not recall being stuck by a needle.
The worker is seriously ill with pneumocystic pneumonia, a severe parasitic lung infection generally identified with intravenous drug users with AIDS.
830519
NYT830506
Copyright © 1983 - The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved. All New York Times articles contained on the AEGiS web site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of The New York Times Company. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. However, you may download articles (one machine readable copy and one print copy per page) for your personal, noncommercial use only.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1983. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1983. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .