AEGiS-WSJ: CDC Data Show Rise in HIV Cases, Reflecting More Accurate Tracking

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

CDC Data Show Rise in HIV Cases, Reflecting More Accurate Tracking

Wall Street Journal - March 28, 2008
Betsy McKay, betsy.mckay@wsj.com

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the number of people in the U.S. diagnosed with HIV in 2006 to be sharply higher than in previous years, reflecting the agency's improved surveillance system rather than a rise in the epidemic.

But the figures also give a more accurate picture of the disease across the U.S. In 2006, 52,878 people were diagnosed with HIV in 45 states and five U.S. dependent areas, while 35,537 people were diagnosed in 2005 in the 38 states and five U.S. dependent areas where the CDC collected data that year. The latest data include reported diagnoses from several new states for the first time, including California and Illinois.

But the number of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in 33 states and five areas with longstanding HIV reporting has remained relatively stable between 2003 and 2006, the CDC said.

The CDC expects to reveal an even sharper picture of the epidemic later this year, when it publishes data showing the number of people infected with HIV in the U.S. every year, rather than just those diagnosed. A CDC spokeswoman said the data are still undergoing scientific review, and a publication date hasn't yet been set.

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