Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International - Wednesday, January 20, 1999
Illinois Department of Public Health officials today said there were 569 deaths related to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or HIV in Illinois during 1997, down from 1,186 deaths in 1996 -- a 52 percent drop.
The 1997 total is the lowest Illinois death toll since 1988, when 500 people died following exposure to AIDS or the HIV.
"The decline signals that medical advancements made in the past couple years are having a dramatic impact in helping those with HIV and AIDS to live longer," state Public Health Director John Lumpkin said.
In 1997, HIV infection was the 17th leading cause of death in Illinois. It was the sixth leading cause of death for people aged 25-44. This is the second straight year that deaths due to AIDS or HIV showed a decrease. They peaked in 1995, when 1,494 people died due to exposure.
Along gender lines, deaths among men fell from 1,006 in 1996 to 453 in 1997. Deaths among women dropped from 180 in 1996 to 116 in 1997. Tentative figures for 1998 will not be available until the fall. Overall, about 22,000 people in Illinois have been diagnosed with AIDS since the disease was first diagnosed in 1981. About 64 percent of them have died.
About 28,000 people may be infected and living with HIV, the virus believe to cause AIDS.
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