1998

AIDS Dementia Treatments Highlighted: Infectious Disease News (12/98) Vol. 11, No. 12, P. 28; A treatment for AIDS dementia is now entering phase III clinical trials in the United States and has already undergone more general phase III trials in Europe. European patients with severe dementia treated with Neurobiological Technologies Memantine showed significant improvement in functional independence and daily l
Peripheral Neuropathy/Myopathy Common Side Effects of HIV Antiretrovirals: Reuters Health Information Services (12/30/98); Members of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group 175/801 report that therapy with currently recommended antiretroviral drugs for HIV infection could produce symmetrical neuropathy and myopathy. Of nearly 2,500 patients studied, 222 site diagnoses of neuropathy were made, about half of which were cases of distal symmetrical ne
Many Physicians Do Not Follow Pediatric MAC Prophylaxis Guidelines: Reuters Health Information Services (12/30/98); A survey reported in the December issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal reveals that many doctors who work at medical centers that specialize in pediatric HIV care do not follow the guidelines for prevention of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (DMAC) infection. The guidelines were published last yea
Dire Warnings About New Tuberculosis From Russia: Modesto Bee Online (12/31/98); Moran, Mark; Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is sweeping through Russia , and health experts note that the country s economic collapse will likely contribute to continued inadequate treatment of the disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention s Dr. Richard O Brien, one of 10 officials who traveled to Russia ea
Across the USA: Connecticut: USA Today (12/31/98) P. 13A; Connecticut health officials announced that starting January 1, HIV testing facilities will report all infections by race, age, and gender.
Court Faults Dentist in HIV Dispute: Washington Post (12/31/98) P. A11; A U.S. Appeals Court ruled Tuesday that Maine dentist Randon Bragdon violated the 1990 American with Disabilities Act by refusing to treat an HIV-infected woman in his office for fear of contracting the disease. Bragdon had suggested filling the woman s cavity in a hospital instead, which he said would offer greater pr
Dosage Adjustment of Antiretroviral Agents in Patients With Organ Dysfunction: American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (12/01/98) Vol. 55, No. 23, P. 2528; Hilts, Alexandra E.; Fish, Douglas N.; Alexandra D. Hilts and Douglas N. Fish, of the Denver University Hospital and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, respectively, provide an overview of dosage adjustment recommendations based on current research for people with impaired renal or hepatic function taking HIV medications. They note, though,
Instability of Tuberculin and Candida Skin Test Reactivity in HIV-Infected Ugandans: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Online (12/98) Vol. 158, No. 6, P. 1790; Johnson, John L.; Nyole, Sam; Okwera, Alphonse; et al.; Scientists from the Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration examined the factors associated with the stability of skin test responses to purified protein derivative (PPD) and candida antigens in HIV-infected Ugandans receiving isoniazid in a tuberculosis preventive therapy trial. According to the
Dual Infections Occur More Often Than Realized: AIDS Alert (12/98) Vol. 13, No. 12, P. 142; Scientists previously believed that dual infection with multiple strains of HIV occurred only in rare cases, but new data show that dual-infection cases may be more common than formerly thought. Dr. Patricia Fultz of the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and colleagues investigated HIV- infected chimpanzees that wer
Role of HHV-8 in HIV-Related Kaposi's Sarcoma Confirmed: Reuters Health Information Services (12/29/98); Researchers from the Amsterdam Cohort Studies on HIV Infection and AIDS report data that strongly confirm the causal role of human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) in Kaposi s sarcoma (KS). The authors studied over 1,400 homosexual men and more than 1,100 drug addicts to determine the presence of antibodies to HHV-8 antigens. Ac
Triple-Drug Therapy Does Not Restore Most Immune Markers in Pediatric AIDS: Reuters Health Information Services (12/29/98); New research from the National Cancer Institute indicates that triple-drug therapy with a protease inhibitor does not restore most cellular immune markers in pediatric AIDS patients after six months. The study, published in the Dec. 24 issue of AIDS, investigated the immunological status of 89 HIV-infected children who
Hepatitis Rates Among Russia Youths Up: Itar Wire Service (12/29/98); Russian Health Ministry officials said Tuesday that the rate of hepatitis B and C infection among the nation s youths has increased six to 10 times in the past few years. Although low funding has postponed the implementation of several preventative steps, one bill passed calls for mandatory immunization against hepatit
South Africa Plays Down Faulty Condom Scare: Reuters (12/29/98); Health officials in South Africa are trying to ease fears regarding the recent discovery of faulty condoms in the nation. The country, which has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world, passed out over 140 million condoms this year, but up to 1 million of the prophylactics were found to be sub-standard. Ac
Thailand: Street Children Learning AIDS Prevention: IPS Wire (12/29/98); In Thailand , where an estimated 1.3 million people may be infected with HIV by the year 2000, a UNICEF-backed program is promoting HIV prevention among street children. The program, run by the Child Development Volunteer Group in Chiang Mai province, features street plays based on real-life situations and which show y
After Tsunami, Drought, PNG Faces AIDS Disaster: Australian Associated Press (12/30/98); Chappell, Trevor; Following a year of devastating drought and a tsunami, Papua New Guinea faces a soaring rate of AIDS. According to experts, HIV incidence in the country last year reached two cases per 1,000 adults, while the incidence of tuberculosis was seven per 1,000 adults. A total of 1,346 HIV infections have been reported in
Heroin Leads to Soaring HIV Rate: South China Morning Post Online (12/30/98); Torode, Greg; United Nations officials announced Tuesday that cases of HIV have now been recorded in all 61 of Vietnam s provinces. The country s increasing rate of HIV infection has been attributed to the continued flow of heroin into northern Vietnam. Currently, about 11,350 HIV infections have been reported in Vietnam; however, e
Warning Against AIDS Complacency as Death Rate Falls: Australian Associated Press (12/30/98); Willis, Katrina; Australia recorded an almost 60 percent decline in AIDS- related deaths in the first seven months of 1998, but residents are being warned not to become complacent about the disease. The most recent issue of the Communicable Diseases Intelligence journal reports that there were 63 AIDS deaths between January and July
Differences in Contributing Factors to Tuberculosis Incidence in U.S.-Born and Foreign-Born Persons: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Online (12/98) Vol. 158, No. 6, P. 1797; Chin, Daniel P.; Deriemer, Kathryn; Small, Peter M.; et al.; Researchers in San Francisco analyzed tuberculosis incidence among 367 patients with strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis recently introduced into the city to determine the factors contributing to disease incidence in U.S.-born and foreign- born populations. Using restriction length polymorphism fragment analysis, the
Marked Improvement in AIDS-Related PML Occurs With HAART: Reuters Health Information Service (12/24/98); Researchers working at Hospital Gregorio in Madrid, Spain , reported in Thursday s issue of the journal AIDS a study that showed highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was effective in stabilizing the condition of patients with AIDS- associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), which is caused by
South Africa Joins Africa-Wide AIDS Vaccine Research Effort: CNN Interactive Online (12/27/98); Researchers from South Africa will participate in two vaccine development projects focusing on HIV strains that are prevalent in South Africa and Kenya , the Sunday Independent reported. The South African government will contribute $830,000 to the $9.1 million project, which is primarily funded by the International AID
Bad Condoms Contribute to Africa's AIDS Spread: San Jose Mercury News Online (12/27/98); McNeil Jr., Donald G.; Some condom makers have reportedly been releasing sub-standard products in Africa, which could lead to the increased spread of HIV. Although experts say that most of the condoms are good and the influx of poor-quality condoms has been reduced, some manufacturers may be releasing brittle, leaky, or ill- fitting condoms.
White House Ready to Spend $25 Million to Fight Diseases: Dallas Morning News Online (12/27/98); Health officials said that President Clinton plans to announce soon a 31 percent increase in the federal program to address emerging infectious diseases. The $25 million initiative is designed to combat the spread of infectious diseases, particularly drug-resistant strains. The director of the Centers for Disease Contr
AIDS Vaccines Look Good in Tests: San Francisco Examiner Online (12/27/98); Rosenberg, Eric; Even though several AIDS experts are confident that developing a vaccine against AIDS by President Clinton s goal of 2007 is an attainable objective, a 1998 National Institutes of Health report that said that creating an effective vaccine will require a tremendous undertaking has received the support of researchers suc
AIDS in Africa: The Silent Stalker: New York Times (12/27/98) P. 4-5; McNeil Jr., Donald; While the earliest confirmed case of HIV-1 infection occurred in 1959, researchers estimate that the virus first showed up in the late 1940s or early 1950s. However, the question scientists are trying to answer is why the disease took 20 years to start manifesting itself, ultimately hitting the homosexual and hemophili
Neighbors Kill an HIV-Positive AIDS Activist in South Africa: New York Times (12/28/98) P. A5; McNeil Jr., Donald G.; Gugu Dlamini, an HIV-positive volunteer field worker for the National Association for People Living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa , was beaten to death last week by her neighbors after a mob attacked her in her home. Dlamini, who publicly announced her infection over the radio and television on World AIDS Day this year
Sharing Information: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (12/23/98- 12/30/98) Vol. 280, No. 24, P. 2067; Accelerated approval of many new HIV drugs by the Food and Drug Administration has led to some concerns about the long- term effects of many of these medications, as well as possible interactions and adverse effects. Pharmacologists at the State University of New York, Buffalo, School of Pharmacy created a Web site to
Ethnicity and Hepatitis C: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (12/23/98- 12/30/98) Vol. 280, No. 24, P. 2067; A new study indicates that African-Americans appear to have poorer response rates to interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection compared to other ethnic groups. The study found that after 24 weeks of interferon treatment, only 5 percent of the 40 African-Americans involved in the study had undetectable hepa
HIV Testing Among Populations At-Risk for HIV--Nine States, November 1995-December 1996: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (12/25/98) Vol. 47, No. 50,; This study analyzed self-reported reasons why people at high risk for HIV infection either did not get tested or delayed getting tested for HIV. Although most (76 percent) of the high-risk individuals surveyed in the nine-state study had been tested for HIV, there were several common factors for not getting tested or d
France and UK Battle Tuberculosis in West Africa: Reuters (12/23/98); France and Britain will jointly fund a project designed to battle tuberculosis in West Africa, British International Development Minister Claire Short and French Cooperation Minister Charles Josselin announced Wednesday. The Medical Research Center in Gambia will manage the initiative in collaboration with oth
"25,000 People Die of TB in Russia Every Year: Itar Wire Service (12/23/98); Speakers at a conference at the Moscow I.M. Sechenov Medical Academy on Wednesday reported that 25,000 people die of tuberculosis annually in Russia and that the TB incidence has doubled in the country in recent years. The World Health Organization estimates that 10 million people develop tuberculosis every year, resul
"AIDS Explosion May Hit S. Pacific: Newsday Online (12/24/98); Keith-Reid, Robert; According to two AIDS experts in the Pacific Islands, complacency and ignorance of HIV in the region could lead to an explosion of cases. Jane Tyler, the director of the AIDS Task Force in Fiji , asserts that there is enormous complacency, there is no political will and throughout the region there is no true understand
Notification of Partners About HIV Faces Delay: New York Times (12/24/98) P. A17; Richardson, Lynda; Due to a delay in the completion of regulations by the New York Health Department, the state will not begin a new HIV reporting and partner notification program until the spring. The program, which was slated to start next month, was approved by the state legislature in June. Under the measure, physicians and laborator
Caring for People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: New England Journal of Medicine (12/24/98) Vol. 339, No. 26, P. 1927; Steinbrook, Robert; In an editorial appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Robert Steinbrook, a deputy editor of the journal, comments on a study by the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Consortium published in the same issue. According to the study--conducted in early 1996--an estimated 292,000 to 372,000 people in the
Atovaquone Compared With Dapsone for the Prevention of Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia in Patients With HIV Infection Who Cannot Tolerate Trimethoprim, Sulfonamides, or Both: New England Journal of Medicine (12/24/98) Vol. 339, No. 26, P. 1889; El-Sadr, Wafaa M.; Murphy, Robert L.; Yurik, Teresa McCabe; et al.; Researchers for the Community Program for Clinical Research on AIDS and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group report that the drugs atovaquone and dapsone are similarly effective in the prevention of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in HIV- positive patients who cannot tolerate trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole. The research
The Care of HIV-Infected Adults in the United States: New England Journal of Medicine (12/24/98) Vol. 339, No. 26, P. 1897; Bozzette, Samuel A.; Berry, Sandra H.; Duan, Naihua; et al.; According to research conducted by the HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study Consortium, an estimated 231,400 HIV- infected people received care in the first two months of 1996. The researchers analyzed data from a large number of adult patients who received care at a private, federal, or other government treatment f
We're Saving Our Own Lives: Village Voice Online (12/16/98); Noel, Peter; African-American alternative health care activists will meet in Harlem on Dec. 19 to discuss contentious issues concerning HIV. Some of the participants of the Harlem AIDS Forum assert that HIV does not cause AIDS, that the disease is not spread through sexual contact, and that vaccines can be dangerous. One of the act
Geography Links STD to Alcohol Availability: Fox News Online (12/22/98); Research shows that neighborhoods with a greater number of stores that sell alcohol appear to have higher gonorrhea rates. Researchers from Louisiana State University School of Medicine and the Louisiana Office of Public Health measured the number of alcohol outlets per square mile and per person in New Orleans, findin
Gay Man Goes Public With AIDS Vaccine, Hoping to Inspire Others: Boston Globe Online (12/23/98); Harpaz, Beth J.; In an effort to increase awareness about AIDS vaccine trials, a gay man from New York has gone public with his participation in a vaccine trial. Troy Masters discussed his involvement in a large-scale vaccine trial involving 5,000 people in the United States , asserting that participation is the most important thing w
HIV Health Care Worker Scare Widens: Age Online (12/23/98); Rollins, Adrian; Gray, Darren; Australian health officials have warned that more patients may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis B virus than were previously reported. The New South Wales health department announced that 13 patients at the Gosford hospital may have been exposed to the viruses by an infected hospital worker. The officials had pre
AIDS Lays Waste to a Nation: Detroit Free Press Online (12/23/98); Tucker, Neely; United Nations statistics indicate that as many as 25 percent of adults in Zimbabwe are infected with HIV. Despite having the highest HIV rate in the world, behavioral changes to stop the spread of the disease have been slow in coming. While condom sales have doubled, some researchers report that there is little eviden
Setting a Bad Example on AIDS: Nature (12/17/98) Vol. 396, No. 6712, P. 603; In South Africa , there are an estimated 1,500 new HIV infections daily and 16 percent of pregnant women carry the virus. While the country has engaged the problem, there has been recent backlash to health minister Nkosazana Zuma s decision not to allow the use of government funds on
AIDS Vaccine Trials in Chimpanzees: Science (12/18/98) Vol. 282, No. 5397, P. 2195; Prince, Alfred M.; Andrus, Linda; Letvin, Norman L.; Scientists from the New York Blood Center respond to a recent Science article that discussed the development of a highly virulent strain of HIV-1 that can cause death in chimpanzees. The original author, Norman L. Letvin, asserted that the new strain could be quite beneficial in testing new vaccine approaches. However,
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection After Travel to or Contact With Visitors From Countries With a High Prevalence of Tuberculosis: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (12/98) Vol. 158, No. 6, P. 1871; Lobato, Mark N.; Hopewell, Philip C.; Researchers have concluded that children who travel to countries with high tuberculosis rates have a greater chance of having a positive skin test reaction for the disease. The study of 953 California children younger than six years of age also showed that children in households that had received guests from these high
Pretreatment Evaluation of Chronic Hepatitis C: Risks, Benefits, and Costs: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (12/23/98- 12/30/98) Vol. 280, No. 24, P. 2088; Wong, John B.; Bennett, William G.; Koff, Raymond S.; et al.; Dr. John B. Wong and colleagues evaluated pretreatment strategies for people with chronic hepatitis C who took interferon alfa-2b, which is costly and has a low-likelihood of long-term response. The researchers analyzed the prevalence of genotypes, viral load, and histological characteristics in relation to sustained r
Dutch AIDS Deaths Decline Sharply: Las Vegas Sun Online (12/18/98); The Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics reported that the number of deaths due to AIDS in the country declined sharply in 1997, marking the second consecutive year of decline. A total of 184 people died from the disease in the Netherlands in 1997, down from 327 the year before. There was also a decrease in the number
New Bid Launched for HIV Reporting: United Press International (12/21/98); California legislators have re-introduced a measure that would require HIV case reporting. Gov. Pete Wilson vetoed a bill that would have mandated reporting earlier this year, but Assemblywoman Carole Migden (D-S.F.) announced the re- introduction of the measure on Monday. Wilson will be succeeded by Gray Davis as gove
Shalala Announces $479 Million for High HIV Incidence Areas: Reuters Health Information Services (12/21/98); Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced Friday that approximately $479 million has been allocated for HIV prevention and treatment under the Ryan White CARE act. As part of the joint initiative between the Congressional Black Caucus and the Clinton administration, part of these funds will go to 4
Hep C Crusader Wary of Fed Deal: Toronto Sun Online (12/21/98); Last Friday, the Canadian government released the method of compensation for people infected with hepatitis C virus through tainted blood products, with people who carry the virus but show minimal symptoms receiving a single payment of C$10,000 and sick individuals receiving up to C$120,000 plus income replacement of u
Hospitals Rationing Clot-Buster Urokinase: Baltimore Sun (12/22/98) P. A4; Hospitals around the United States are warning of a shortage of the clot-busting drug urokinase, which is used to dissolve blood clots and to clear tubes in kidney dialysis, with several hospitals saying they only have a few doses remaining. In November, the U.S. FDA ordered
HIV Nurse Sparks Women's Test Panic: Australian Online (12/22/98); Harvey, Claire; Over 255 Australian women may have been exposed to hepatitis B virus and HIV by a male obstetric nurse who tested positive for the viruses. On Sunday, health authorities in the country notified women who had invasive obstetric operations between Jan. 6 and Dec. 11 of the possible risk of infection. Fifty women were fou
Syphilis Eradication: So Near, So Elusive: USA Today (12/22/98) P. 6D; Brainard, Jeffrey; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Jeffrey Koplan recently announced that the agency would try and eliminate syphilis infection in the United States . With syphilis rates at extremely low-levels, experts believe that now is the time to try and eradicate the disease. Scientists are pressing for the deve
Challenging the Conventional Stance on AIDS: New York Times (12/22/98) P. D6; France, David; Conspiracy theories about HIV still abound despite a wealth of available scientific evidence. Recently, the Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network sponsored the Harlem AIDS Forum, which featured many outspoken opponents to traditional views on HIV and AIDS. Of approximately 12 speakers, only one believed that
Tuberculosis in the Home: Contact History and Childhood Tuberculosis in Central Harlem: Clinical Pediatrics (12/98) Vol. 37, No. 12, P. 753; Moss, William; Dr. William Moss of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health reports on contact history of childhood cases of tuberculosis in Central Harlem, New York City. The area had the highest tuberculosis rate in the city in 1993, with an age -adjusted rate of 182 cases per 100,000 people. The number of reported cas
Grant Funds Transgender HIV Prevention: Washington Blade (12/11/98) Vol. 29, No. 50,; Roundy, Bill; The HIV Community Coalition in Washington, D.C., will receive a $20,000 grant from the city s Administration for HIV/AIDS (AHA), a division of the District s Department of Health. The money will go toward the development of a four-month pilot program designed to promote AIDS education among the city s transgender commu
Ban Stays on 'Anti-AIDS Drug' Trials: Hong Kong Standard Online (12/21/98); A report in the Sunday Independent newspaper indicates that the South African Medicines Control Council will not allow clinical trials against HIV for the drug Virodene, which was banned last year because it contained a toxic solvent. The council recently barred testing following another application by South African de
Fighting AIDS in Africa: New York Times (12/19/98) P. A30; McLean, Mora; Many African nations have some of the most far-reaching programs to combat the spread of HIV, asserts Mora McLean, the president of the Africa-America Institute. In a letter to the editor of the New York Times, McLean responds to a series of front-page Times articles on the HIV epidemic in Africa, noting that the artic
World Bank May Lift Bar on Aid for TB Control: Hindu Online (12/21/98); The World Bank may end its suspension of assistance for the National Tuberculosis Control Program in India , which it had imposed several months ago. The agency said that it would not lift the suspension until an efficient mechanism for the procurement of anti-TB drugs was established. According to World Bank official
Needle Exchange Returns to D.C.: Washington Post (12/19/98) P. B1; Montgomery, David; With the initiation of the Prevention Works needle-exchange program in Washington, D.C., the city again has a syringe exchange service designed to help decrease the spread of HIV among intravenous drug users. The program, which used to be run by the Whitman-Walker Clinic, was suspended in October following an act of Co
AIDS Council Criticizes Clinton's Follow-Through: Washington Post (12/20/98) P. A27; President Clinton s follow-up to his call for the development of an AIDS vaccine by the year 2007 has been criticized by his AIDS advisory council, which contends that little progress has been made in the 19 months following the announcement. Members noted that a director of the vaccine center at the National Institute
Rolling Up Their Sleeves to Tackle a Killer Virus: New York Times (12/21/98) P. A26; Richardson, Lynda; Across the United States , volunteers are being inoculated with the candidate HIV vaccine Aidsvax, developed by Vaxgen as part of the first large-scale HIV vaccine tests in the United States. The trial will include 5,000 subjects from the United States and 2,500 subjects from Thailand , many
Glaxo Wins Approval for New AIDS Drug Despite Serious Risks: Wall Street Journal (12/21/98) P. B8; Glaxo Wellcome s newest AIDS drug, Ziagen , was approved for marketing by the Food and Drug Administration Thursday, even though clinical trials showed that about 5 percent of patients experienced significant, and in some cases, fatal side effects, including fever, nausea, abdominal pain, low blood pressure, and an enl
Antenatal Screening for Syphilis: British Medical Journal Online (12/12/98) Vol. 317, No. 7173, P. 1605; Welch, Jan; Cases of congenital syphilis in the United Kingdom are rare, but syphilis is the only chronic infection for which women are routinely screened during pregnancy, writes Jan Welch, of the Department of Sexual Health of King s Healthcare NHS Trust in London, in an editorial. Some healthcare centers are considering discont
Outbreak of Primary and Secondary Syphilis - Guilford County, North Carolina, 1996-1997 Syphilis outbreak in North Carolina points to need for increased vigilance.: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: December 18, 1998/ Vol. 47/ No. 49/ p. 1070; Despite dramatic declines in the national rate of primary and secondary syphilis cases to an all time low of 3.2 per 100,000 in 1997, the rate (40.5) for Guilford County was over 10 times higher than the Healthy People 2000 goal for the nation. From 1994 to 1997, Guilford County experienced a 147% increase in primary a
Impact of Closure of a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic on Public Health Surveillance of Sexually Transmitted Diseases - Washington, D.C., 1995 Clinic closing impacts reporting of syphilis cases in Washington, D.C.: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: December 18, 1998/ Vol. 47/ No. 49/ p. 1067; Although national syphilis rates have declined to historically low levels, syphilis remains a major problem in Washington, D.C. Currently, the city s primary and secondary syphilis rates rank 7th among major U.S. cities. In 1995, the D.C. Department of Health s Northwest (NW) Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) clinic
New Strategy to Rapidly Assess Efficacy of AIDS Drugs in Children: Infectious Disease News (11/98) Vol. 11, No. 11, P. 22; Scientists from the National Cancer Institute have found a method that may be able to predict whether the use of ritonavir in children will be successful after only the first week of treatment. The researchers, led by Dr. Brigitta Mueller, now at Harvard Medical School, used pre-treatment levels of CD4 cells, HIV RNA i
Genital Ulcer Patients Should Be Focus of HIV Prevention Programs: Reuters Health Information Services (12/17/98); Dr. Kristen Mertz of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others recommend that people with genital ulcers be treated quickly to prevent the spread of ulcerative sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. The researchers, who report their findings in the December issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, n
Africa--Women and AIDS Conference: PANA Wire Service (12/17/98); Adeyemi, Segun; The Society of Women and AIDS in Africa concluded at its seventh conference, which ended Thursday in Senegal , that pregnant women should be given access to AZT to prevent mother -to-child transmission of HIV. The scientific committee of the society also called for a reduction in the price of female condoms, ass
Medical Notebook: Rise in TB Risk Seen in Certain Itineraries: Boston Globe Online (12/17/98) P. A3; Tye, Larry; A new study published by the American Lung Association found that California children who had traveled to places with high tuberculosis rates--including Mexico , China , India , and Haiti- -were 3.9 times more likely to have tested positive for TB compared to children who had
Amphetamines, Cocaine Use Rise in EU, Report Says: Reuters (12/18/98); The 1998 annual report of the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction indicates that the number of AIDS cases is decreasing on the continent due to progression- delaying drugs. The agency noted that AIDS is now more of an indicator of treatment uptake and less of an indicator of HIV infection. According
D.C. Urged to Improve Efforts Against STDs: Washington Post (12/18/98) P. C3; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged the District of Columbia to increase sexually transmitted disease prevention efforts, specifically recommending that the city increase syphilis screening and partner notification and improve patient education projects. According to the CDC, some cases of syphilis
Report Warns About TB Risk on Long Flights: Boston Globe Online (12/18/98) P. A25; The World Health Organization cautioned Thursday that there is a small but possible risk of contracting tuberculosis on flights over eight hours in length. While the WHO reported that there were no recorded cases of passengers contracting the disease during flight with a TB-infected passenger, there have been cases whe
Syphilis in Pregnant Women and Their Children in the United Kingdom: Results From National Clinician Reporting Surveys 1994-1997: British Medical Journal Online (12/12/98) Vol. 317, No. 7137, P. 1617; Hurtig, A.-K.; Nicoll, A.; Carne, C.; et al.; Researchers from the Sexually Transmitted Disease Section of the United Kingdom s Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Surveillance Center in London have concluded that current [routine antenatal] screening prevents congenital syphilis and that some fetuses and infants would be placed at risk if routin
Community Based Study of Treatment Seeking Among Subjects With Symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Disease in Rural Uganda: British Medical Journal Online (12/12/98) Vol. 317, No. 7173, P. 1630; Paxton, L.A.; Kiwanuka, N.; Nalugoda, F.; et al.; Researchers for the Rakai Project Study Group investigated treatment seeking among people with symptoms for sexually transmitted diseases residing in the Rakai District of Uganda . Baseline prevalence of infection was taken for over 12,000 people in the study: 10 percent had syphilis, 1.6 percent had gonorrhea, 3.1 per
Potential for the Transmission of HIV-1 Despite Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: New England Journal of Medicine (12/17/98) Vol. 339, No. 25, P. 1846; Haase, Ashley T.; Schacker, Timothy W.; In an editorial appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Drs. Ashley T. Haase and Timothy W. Schacker of the University of Minnesota comment on recent findings by Zhang et al. that men receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy and who have undetectable levels of HIV RNA may be able to transmit the virus t
Nonintravenous Injections Associated With Low HIV Transmission Risk: Reuters Health Information Services (12/16/98); A multicenter team, led by Dr. Josiah D. Rich of the Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I., has found that the risk of HIV infection through intramuscular or subcutaneous injection is fairly low, but infection can still occur. The researchers, who report their findings in the Dec. 3 issue of the journal AIDS, assessed th
Glimmer of Hope to Restore Damage Immune Systems: Reuters (12/16/98); Reaney, Patricia; Scientists are investigating ways to increase production from the thymus gland in order to strengthen the immune system in people who experience immunodeficiency, including people with AIDS. It was originally believed that the thymus gland, which produces T-cells, lost most of its function due to aging; however, Dr. Ri
S.F. AIDS Programs to Get $36 Million: San Francisco Examiner Online (12/16/98) P. A16; Brazil, Eric; Sixty-three San Francisco-area AIDS groups will receive a total of $36 million in grants as part of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-S.F.) announced. The money will also go for services in San Mateo and Marin counties, helping people living with HIV/AIDS. San Francisco has
Smog, Smokes, STDs to Blame for Sterility in China, Reports Say: AZ Starnet Online (12/17/98); As many as one in eight men experiences sterility in China , according to the Xinhua news agency. In the past two decades, the percentage of couples unable to conceive has risen from 3 percent to 13 percent. Air pollution, heavy smoking, and sexually transmitted diseases have been blamed for the increased rate of infer
Misguided Beliefs Seen in AIDS in Kenya: Washington Times (12/17/98) P. A15; Kenya s Daily Nation reported Wednesday that some men in the country believe that they can cure themselves of HIV infection by having multiple sex partners. The Daily Nation noted reports of several dangerous misconceptions presented at an AIDS workshop in Nairobi. These include the belief by some that it is impossible
Babies With Disease Abandoned by Mothers: Washington Times (12/17/98) P. A15; Selsky, Andrew; An estimated 1 million children are HIV-positive in sub- Saharan Africa and there are nearly 8 million African children orphaned by the disease. The Washington Times reports that HIV-infected children are increasingly being abandoned in the region. Social welfare officials say that in Johannesburg through the first hal
P53 Polymorphism and Risk of Cervical Cancer: Nature (12/10/98) Vol. 396, No. 6711, P. 530; Helland, Aslaug; Josefsson, Agnetha; Hildensheim, Allan; et al.; Three separate groups of researchers respond to findings recently reported in Nature by Alan Storey and colleagues indicating that a polymorphism in the p53 gene at codon-72 represents a significant risk factor for cancers associated with human papillomavirus. In letters to the journal, all three research groups report
Hepatitis Meeting Suggests End of 'Carrier' Status: Lancet (12/12/98) Vol. 352, No. 9144, P. 1916; Sharma, Dinesh C.; Attendees of a two-day international conference in New Delhi dealing with Asian perspectives on hepatitis B and C released a consensus statement urging the replacement of the term carrier for patients with the viruses with the term chronic hepatitis B virus infection or chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The change w
Italian Health Ministry Found Guilty in Tainted-Blood-Product Scandal: Lancet (12/12/98) Vol. 352, No. 9144, P. 1916; Simini, Bruno; An Italian civil court recently found the country s Ministry of Health negligent of its responsibility to protect patients from HIV- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-contaminated blood products. The ministry did not require virus-inactivating treatment of human plasma until 1985. Untreated plasma drugs already in stock were
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 in the Semen of Men Receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy: New England Journal of Medicine (12/17/98) Vol. 339, No. 25, P. 1803; Zhang, Hui; Geethanjali, Dornadula; Beumont, Maria; et al.; Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pa., detected proviral DNA from HIV in the seminal cells of HIV-1-infected men receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy who had no detectable levels of viral RNA in their plasma. The finding suggests that the virus can be sexually transmitted by infect
Rite Aid Rolls Out HIV Training: American Druggist--HIV Supplement (11/98) Vol. 1, No. 1, P. 10; Slezak, Michael; Over 400 Philadelphia-area Rite Aid drug stores have introduced a continuing education program on HIV/AIDS for pharmacists. The four-hour program was videotaped and will be sent out to an additional 1,200 Rite Aid stores as part of a national program. The program focuses on keeping pharmacists educated on up-to-date me
Disease Puts Plasma Supplies Into Question: Salt Lake Tribune Online (12/16/98); Wagner, Norma; Federal agencies are currently investigating whether Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) can be passed through blood, following the recent death of a Utah man--who was also a frequent plasma donor--from the disease. The national company that received blood from the man, which could now be pooled into thousands of other uni
Hospitals Get $6 Million for HIV Brain Bank: Boston Globe Online (12/15/98); The National Institutes of Health will give a $6 million grant to three New York City hospitals to study the neurological effects of HIV on the brain. Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, and St. Luke s-Roosevelt Hospital Center will in turn create the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank, a collection of br
$240Gs Fed Blood Pact Wins Praise: Toronto Sun Online (12/16/98); HIV-infected Canadians who contracted the virus from parents or partners who were originally infected through tainted blood transfusions will receive C$240,000 in tax-free compensation from the government. About 240 Canadians or their estates are eligible for the compensation, which comes from a C$1.1 billion fund allo
AIDS Takes a Toll on Africa, Even After Death: New York Times (12/16/98) P. A1; McNeil Jr., Donald G.; The United Nations reports that there are about 5,500 deaths due to AIDS in Africa every day. With such large numbers of people dying, the African culture has been forced to change. Many relatives of the deceased no longer have the money to tend to their dead in a manner fitting with tradition. Some cannot afford buria
Choriodecidual Inflammation: a Potentially Preventable Cause of Perinatal HIV-1 Transmission?: Lancet (12/12/98) Vol. 352, No. 9144, P. 1927; Goldenberg, Robert L.; Vermund, Sten H.; Goepfert, Alice R.; et al.; Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham hypothesize that preterm chorioamnionitis and acute chorioamnionitis at term are important components in the perinatal transmission of HIV-1. They state that preterm birth, prolonged rupture of the chorioamniotic membranes, and clinical and histological bacterial
US Scientists May Boycott AIDS Congress: Science (12/10/98) Vol. 396, No.6711, P. 504; Cherry, Michael; Several U.S. researchers reportedly may boycott the World AIDS Conference in Durban in 2000 in response to the cancellation by the South African health minister of a pilot program designed to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV. The canceled program distributed AZT to HIV-infected pregnant women. In
Early Treatment of HIV-1 Infection: Lancet (12/12/98) Vol. 352, No. 9144, P. 1935; Fauci, Anthony; Bartlett, John G.; Goosby, Eric; et al.; In a letter to the Lancet, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and others comment on a recent Lancet viewpoint by Jay Levy, of the University of California at San Francisco. Fauci et al. state that Levy s call for caution in the early treatment of HIV-1 infection is val
Tuberculin Skin Test Screening Practices Among US Colleges and Universities: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (12/16/98) Vol. 280, No. 23, P. 2008; Hennessey, Karen A.; Schulte, Joann M.; Cook, Linda; et al.; A study of 624 U.S. colleges and universities found that 378 schools, or 61 percent, required tuberculin screening. Just over one-quarter of schools surveyed required tuberculin screening for all new students, while 8 percent asked for tests from only new international students. 294 schools (47 percent) requested tests
Hospitals Warned of Blood Shortage: UK Independent Online (12/14/98); The British National Blood Service (NBS) has warned every hospital in England that there is a blood shortage. The agency also issued instructions on how to conserve blood supplies. Donors are becoming more scarce, while hospitals continue to use some 10,000 half-liter units of blood daily and demand rises at 3 percent
Continuing Testing Finds 6000 Indian Army Personnel HIV Positive: News Network International Online (12/14/98); According to the Hindustan Times, over 6,000 members of the Indian Army have tested positive for HIV in continued screenings for the disease. Officials from the organization state that there are probably many more infected individuals in the army, because most individuals have not yet been tested. The Wor
Tuberculosis Cases Soar in Kazakhstan: Russia Today Online (12/14/98); According to the Kazakhstan Health Ministry, the number of tuberculosis cases in the nation has increased 30 percent over six years, reaching 73,000 cases. The number of cases rose from 64.2 per 100,000 people to 91.3 per 100,000 people between 1992 and 1997. Deaths due to TB increased by 3.2 percent over the same peri
Judge Orders HIV-Positive Mother to Treat Child With AZT: Oregon Live NewsFlash Online (12/15/98); A judge in Eugene, Ore., ruled that an HIV-infected mother must treat her newborn child with AZT in compliance with her doctor s orders. The parents object to the treatment because of the possible side effects of the drug and because they are unsure of the child s HIV-status. The mother, Kathleen Tyson, must also stop
Bring HIV Campaign Out of the Dark Alley: Wall Street Journal (12/15/98) P. A23; Zingale, Daniel; In a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal, Daniel Zingale, the executive director of AIDS Action, applauds a recent editorial in the newspaper opposing public opinion campaigns that portray everyone as at risk for HIV. Zingale notes that homosexual men and injection drug users and their sex partners are at t
Crusading for Cash: Washington Post--Health (12/15/98) P. 10; Havemann, Judith; Disease activists often compete with each other in an effort to secure research and treatment funding for their respective causes. Earlier this year, the American Diabetes Association released a report indicating that the U.S. government spends $1.5 billion annually on AIDS, while just $316 million goes to diabetes--de
Hepatitis C: How Widespread a Threat?: New York Times (12/15/98) P. D1; Grady, Denise; An increasing number of Americans are expected to be diagnosed with hepatitis C in the next 20 years, as latently infected people begin to show symptoms of the disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 4 million people in the United States are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Abou
Expression of CD38 on CD8 T Cells Predicts Maintenance of High Viraemia in HAART-Treated HIV-1-Infected Children (Research Letter): Lancet (12/12/98) Vol. 352, No. 9144, P. 1905; Vigano, Alessandra; Saresella, Marina; Rusconi, Stefano; et al.; Italian researchers report the expression of CD38 on CD8 T cells in two HIV-infected children who were unresponsive to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The researchers investigated CD38 expression in 16 HIV-positive children; the two subjects who did not respond to treatment showed multiple drug resistance
Prospects for Worldwide Tuberculosis Control Under the WHO DOTS Strategy: Lancet (12/12/98) Vol. 352, No. 9144, P. 1886; Dye, Christopher; Garnett, Geoffrey P.; Sleeman, Karen; et al.; Dr. Christopher Dye of the World Health Organization s Global Tuberculosis Program and other infectious disease experts constructed an age-structured mathematical model to determine the effects of directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) on tuberculosis rates. In areas where TB incidence is stable and HIV-1 is
ABT-378 Shows Promise: American Druggist--HIV Supplement (11/98) Vol. 1, No.1, P. 16; Lacone, Alexis; Preliminary data from a study of 35 people receiving Abbott Laboratories ABT-378, a second-generation HIV protease inhibitor, indicate that the drug can be used to successfully lower viral loads. In the study, 16 of 17 treatment-naive people receiving the medication in conjunction with
Testosterone May Lessen Depression in AIDS Patients: Infectious Disease News (11/98) Vol. 11, No. 11, P. 20; Researchers from the New York State Psychiatric Institute found that biweekly injections of testosterone cypionate over three-months increased energy levels and feelings of well- being in a placebo-controlled study of 66 HIV-positive subjects. Dr. Glenn Wagner, a research scientist at the institute, said that fatigue i
FDA Approves Hepatitis C Combination Product: M2 Presswire (12/11/98); The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Rebetron Combination Therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C who have not been previously treated with interferon therapy. The approval expands the use of the therapy, which consists of interferon alfa-2B recombinant and ribavirin and was previously only availab
Underfunded Health Program: Washington Post (12/12/98) P. A22; Lurie, Peter; In a letter to the Washington Post, Dr. Peter Lurie, of the Public Citizen s Health Research Group, applauds the implementation of a needle-exchange program in the District of Columbia. However, he states that even though the District has found a way to run such a program without interfering with rules laid down by Con
Across the USA: North Carolina: USA Today (12/14/98) P. 18A; A spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the state would investigate changing its HIV testing policy. The Centers for Disease Control last week recommended the use of anonymous testing in order to increase the number of people willing to get tested for HIV.
Do Drugs Cost Too Much? Consider the Alternatives: Wall Street Journal (11/14/98) P. A18; Kogan, Richard Jay; Richard Jay Kogan, chairman and CEO of Schering-Plough , asserts that the increasing profits by drug manufacturers are due to new drug candidates, better medications, novel delivery systems, and treatments for diseases that were previously untreatable. Commenting in the Wall Street Journal, Kogan notes that the launch
Safeguards on 'Killer Microbes' Urged: Boston Globe Online (12/14/98) P. E5; Zitner, Aaron; Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) are working on proposals designed to address the growing problem of drug-resistant diseases. The two senators will host today an informal meeting on the subject that will include infectious disease specialists and officials from the Centers for Disease Control
Infections May Be Often-Missed Cause of Birth Problems: Dallas Morning News Online (12/14/98); Beil, Laura; Infections such as chlamydia, which has no symptoms in 75 percent of infected women, may be responsible for premature delivery and low infant birth-weight, reported researchers at the National Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention Conference in Dallas last week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which c
Good HIV: Wired (11/98) Vol. 6, No. 11, P. 100; Lowenstein, Jerold M.; Cell Genesys, a California biotechnology company, is exploring the use of HIV as a vector in gene therapy. The virus qualities make it ideal for use in this system; it evades the body s defenses and inserts its genes into host cells. If scientists can find a way to get the virus to insert useful genes into cells withou
IL-2 Improves Response of HAART-Treated Patients: Reuters Health Information Services (12/10/98); German investigators report in the Dec. 3 issue of AIDS that the addition of subcutaneous interleukin-2 ( IL-2 ) to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can help improve patient immune response. The researchers compared HAART/IL-2 treatment to HAART alone in 64-HIV infected patients as part of phase II clinical
Boston Minister Urges Africa to Put Focus on AIDS Crisis: Boston Globe Online (12/11/98) P. A37; Shillinger, Kurt; At a meeting of the World Council of Churches in Zimbabwe , Boston Rev. Eugene Rivers called for African clergy to focus on the AIDS crisis. He asserted that sexual promiscuity now functions as a form of violence against women and children and that the clergy should view male sexual permissiveness as a question of just
Schmoke to Go on Air to Defend His City's Honor: Washington Post (12/11/98) P. G1; Pierre, Robert E.; Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke has accepted an invitation to appear on the Tonight Show from host Jay Leno, who joked this week about the city s high rate of sexually transmitted diseases--the highest in the country. In announcing his decision to appear on tonight s show and discuss Baltimore s STD problem, Schmoke sa
Activist Health Minister Draws Foes in South Africa: Washington Post (12/11/98) P. A41; Duke, Lynne; Nkosazana Zuma, South Africa s Health Minister, has received much criticism over her AIDS treatment policy. Zuma recently decided to halt funding for the treatment of pregnant HIV- infected women, arguing that the funds would be better spent on prevention. However, her prevention efforts have also drawn fire; the Healt
State Officials to Speed Up H.I.V. Testing of Newborns: New York Times (12/11/98) P. A27; New York state s program requiring the testing of all newborn children for HIV will be amended to decrease the time between testing and notification. An amendment will require hospitals to hasten their testing of the infants and return the results within 48 hours. Physicians and AIDS activists have complained that the
City Urged to Begin Tracking HIV Cases: Washington Post (12/11/98) P. G3; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Thursday that the District of Columbia and 11 other U.S. jurisdictions begin tracking HIV infections. The preliminary guidelines advocate HIV reporting but would not require it, if adopted. Officials in Washington, D.C., report that they are moving toward a tra
Lamivudine for Chronic Hepatitis B: New England Journal of Medicine (12/09/98) Vol. 339, No. 24, P. 1786; Bernasconi, Enos; Battegay, Manuel; Lai, Ching-Lung; et al.; Swiss doctors Enos Bernasconi and Manuel Battegay question the use of once-daily lamivudine regimens for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV). In a letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, they state that the half-life of the medication in liver cells has not yet been determined. The authors not
Working in a Virtual Laboratory: Scientist (12/07/98) Vol. 12, No. 24, P. 1; Wilson, Jennifer Fisher; The Great Lakes Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) will use video and audio conferencing, the Internet, and application sharing to establish a virtual research center. The technology will connect a diverse group of HIV/AIDS researchers at Northwestern University Medical Center, the Wisconsin Regional Primate Center, the U
Low-Dose Cyclosporin: Government Trial Recruiting, Cell Count Over 500: AIDS Treatment News (12/04/98) No. 308, P. 5; The AIDS Clinical Trial Group 334 is recruiting for a phase II, placebo-controlled, 16-week clinical trial evaluating the use of cyclosporin in patients with HIV. Cyclosporin, an immunosuppressant, has been anecdotal tied to successful HIV treatment, although little research has been conducted on the matter. The drug m
How Conflicts Spread AIDS in Central Africa: PANA Wire Service (12/09/98); Gueye, Jules S.; The spread of refugees in Africa is contributing to HIV transmission throughout the continent, asserts Frederik Kouzoukesse, deputy head of the anti-AIDS service in the Central African Republic . He said that social and economic unrest are forcing people to move and when they do so, they also propagate diseases. Whil
Pilot Intervention Program Improves HAART Adherence: Reuters Health Information Services (12/09/98); Adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy may be improved through the use of modified directly observed therapy, report researchers from Brown University. Dr. Jennifer A. Mitty of Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I., and others conducted a study in which patient adherence was monitored by outreach workers durin
Chlamydia Is Number One STD: Fox News Online (12/09/98); According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States . As many as three-fourths of infected people may be asymptomatic for the disease, which can cause pelvic inflammatory infection and infertility if untreated. However, CDC official
Samaritans Risk HIV Exposure: Richmond Times-Dispatch (12/10/98) P. A20; Officials at the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health in Washington report that several good Samaritans may have been exposed to HIV when they helped passengers--one of whom was HIV-positive--involved in a serious bus accident on November 27. About 20 people helped out at the scene, in which a passenger shot
FDA Approves Drug to Combat Hepatitis B: Washington Post (12/10/98) P. A42; The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of lamivudine, also known as 3TC , to help protect against the liver damage caused by chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Lamivudine , which has already been approved for use against HIV, blocks the production of an enzyme that i
States Asked to Track HIV Cases: Los Angeles Times--National Edition (12/10/98) P. A12; Cimons, Marlene; Marquis, Julie; With the publication today of new guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will urge states to institute mandatory reporting of HIV in order to track the disease. While the CDC advocates name-based reporting, individual states will be able to decide what sort of reporting system they wish to use. To e
New AIDS Czar Aims to Sharpen France's AIDS Effort: Science (12/04/98) Vol. 282, No. 5395, P. 1799; Balter, Michael; With the appointment of France s new AIDS czar, Michel Kazatchkine, the National Agency for AIDS Research (ANRS) will narrow its research focus to studies designed to lead to new therapies. Kazatchkine replaced Jean-Paul Levy as the head of the French agency in October amid rumors that ANRS would be disbanded after Lev
A Controlled Trial of Itraconazole to Prevent Relapse of Penicillium Marneffei Infection in Patients Infected With the Human Immunodeficiency Virus: New England Journal of Medicine (12/10/98) Vol. 339, No. 24, P. 1739; Supparatpinyo, Khuanchai; Perriens, Joseph; Nelson, Kenrad; et al.; Secondary treatment with oral itraconazole can help prevent relapse in patients co-infected with Penicillium marneffei and HIV, report researchers from Thailand and elsewhere. The scientists investigated relapse rates of P. marneffei among 71 HIV-positive patients in Thailand. P. marneffei is a potentially fatal system
Seth Berkley Plans to Stop AIDS in Its Tracks: Wired (11/98) Vol. 6, No. 11, P. 126; Scanlon, Jessie; Seth Berkley formed the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative in 1996 in an effort to promote AIDS vaccine research. At the time, vaccine research was beginning to lag; Berkley responded by pushing the vaccine agenda to health officials, asserting that HIV is still a problem that needs to be confronted. Thus far, he ha
Care of HIV-Positive Patients Does Not Raise TB Risk for Providers: Reuters Health Information Services (12/08/98); Research published in the November issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology indicates that health care providers working with HIV-infected patients do not have increased tuberculosis infection rates. A multicenter team of investigators, led by Dr. Fred M. Gordin of the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C.,
Female Health Secures $6 Million Financing: Reuters (12/08/98); Female Health, the manufacturer of the female condom, announced Tuesday that it has secured a $6 million equity- based line of credit with a single institutional investor. The financing will help to make the product more widely available. The company owns patents on the female condom in the United States ,
Swiss Doctor Guilty in HIV Case: Newsday Online (12/08/98); Alfred Haessig, the former director of the Swiss central laboratory of the Red Cross, was found guilty Tuesday by a Geneva court of supervising the distribution of HIV-infected blood products to hemophiliacs. The 77-year-old man was given a one-year suspended prison sentence. The prosecutor in the case argued that Haes
Known Protective Polymorphisms Lose Influence in Late HIV Infection: Reuters Health Information Service (12/08/98); According to research by Dr. Jean-Francois Zagury of the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris and colleagues, the advantageous CCR5, CCR2, and SDF1 alleles lose their protective benefit against HIV progression after about eight years. The researchers examined a cohort of 200 slow- or nonprogressors and 90 fast pro
(ADS) ************************************************************** ** GENERAL MEDIA ************************************************************** ** "Past Boasts of Sexual-Disease-Free Status Buried by Soaring Cases: South China Morning Post Online (12/09/98); The National Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Center in China reports there are now between 2 million and 4 million cases of STD infection in the country. Gonorrhea is the most common STD. Last year, the number of STDs increased 15 percent from 1996, with 461,510 reported cases. China boasted low rates of STDs for
The Enigmas of Kaposi's Sarcoma: Science (12/04/98) Vol. 282, No. 5395, P. 1837; Gallo, Robert C.; Dr. Robert C. Gallo, of the Institute of Human Virology in Baltimore and co-discoverer of HIV, discusses Kaposi s sarcoma (KS) and certain questions concerning the disease. He states that KS could be either a malignancy or a proliferative inflammatory response, or both. Gallo notes evidence that suggested that most or
Genetic Acceleration of AIDS Progression by a Promoter Variant of CCR5: Science (12/04/98) Vol. 282, No. 5395, P. 1907; Martin, Maureen P.; Dean, Michael; Smith, Michael W.; et al.; Researchers, led by Maureen P. Martin of the National Cancer Institute, report that individuals homozygous for a multisite haplotype of the CCR5 regulatory region with the CCR5P1 promoter allele progress to AIDS faster than individuals with other promoter genotypes. The researchers examined CCR5 promoter genotypes amon
Effective Medical Treatment of Opiate Addiction: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (12/09/98) Vol. 280, No. 22, P. 1936; The National Consensus Development Panel on Effective Medical Treatment of Opiate Addiction reviewed opiate therapy options, making recommendations for treatment of the addiction. The panel stated that all persons dependent on opiates should have access to methadone hydrochloride maintenance therapy under legal supervi
Effective Medical Treatment of Opiate Addiction: "Genetic Acceleration of AIDS Progression by a Promoter Variant of CCR5" "The Enigmas of Kaposi's Sarcoma" GENERAL MEDIA "Past Boasts of Sexual-Disease-Free Status Buried by Soaring Cases" "Known Protective Polymorphisms Lose Influence in Late HIV Infection" "Swiss Doctor Guilty in HIV Case" "Female Health Secures $6 Million Financing" "Care of HIV- Positive Patients Does Not Raise TB Risk for Providers" "Seth Berkley Plans to Stop AIDS in Its Tracks" ************************************************************** *; PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS ************************************************************** *
Miracle Vaccines: U.S. News & World Report (11/23/98) Vol. 125, No. 20, P. 57; Schrof, Joannie M.; Now that plagues such as smallpox, polio and diphtheria are not the strong threats they once were, many Americans are becoming blase about such fears. Indeed, less than half of the children under age two in the nation have received all recommended vaccinations, and roughly 70,000 people die annually from vaccine-preven
Anti-Hepatitis Push Raises Ethical Issues: Modern Healthcare (11/30/98) Vol. 28, No. 48, P. 2; Jaklevic, Mary Chris; As part of a hepatitis management program, Schering-Plough has enlisted the help of a Georgia physicians network. Under the three-year agreement, Georgia Primary Care Network will administer questionnaires designed to detect people who are at risk for hepatitis C. The deal raises ethical concerns as to whether drug co
New HIV Strain Could Pose Public-Health Concerns: AIDS Alert (11/98) Vol. 13, No. 11, P. 126; A new HIV strain detected in a woman in Cameroon may not immediately affect public health, but it may provide some insight into the origin of the disease. The new strain, dubbed YBF 30 or HIV-1 group N, is distinct from group M (the major HIV group) and group O HIV strains. Dr. Harold W. Jaffe, associate director for H
Surgeon General Pushes Sex Education: United Press International (12/06/98); Susman, Ed; Surgeon General David Satcher called for the use of sex education to teach responsible sexual behavior to children. Speaking at an interim meeting of the American Medical Association s House of Delegates in Honolulu on Sunday, Satcher said that Americans have to get real about sex education. He added that sex education
Children in Romania Bear an AIDS Legacy: Philadelphia Inquirer (12/06/98) P. A25; Fleishman, Jeffrey; While there are no accurate statistics available, an estimated 8,000 children are believed to be infected with HIV in Romania . International health officials estimate the country to have the highest rate of juvenile AIDS in Europe. Policies instituted by Nicolae Ceausescu, the leader of Romania in the 1980s, are partl
A Remedy Required Around the World: Dignity: Boston Globe Online (12/06/98) P. D3; Mann, Jonathan; The Boston Globe published excerpts of an essay written by Jonathan Mann, an renowned AIDS researcher and advocate who died in September in the crash of Swissair Flight 111, as a commemoration of the 50th anniversary Thursday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The article consists of excerpts from Mann s las
Many Firms Pushing Search for AIDS Drugs: Wall Street Journal (12/07/98) P. B9C; Middleton, Otesa; A survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) found that there are 113 treatments for AIDS and HIV-related illnesses now under development by 78 U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The Food and Drug Administration has approved 54 drugs for HIV and related conditions to date.
Syphilis Epidemic Beginning to Wane: Baltimore Sun (12/07/98) P. 1A; Bor, Jonathan; Sugg, Diana K.; The number of new syphilis cases appears to be declining in Baltimore, according to projected statistics from the city Health Department. Although Baltimore still has the highest syphilis rate of any major U.S. municipality, based on data collected through September the city is projected to have no more than 500 cases
Eradication Efforts Fail to Stop STDs in Cities: USA Today (12/07/98) P. 1D; Fackelmann, Kathleen; While syphilis and gonorrhea rates have reached all-time lows in the United States , a report to be released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today indicates that the diseases are still widespread in 15 cities. The CDC reports high rates of syphilis and gonorrhea in Atlanta; Richmond, Va.; Baltimore; B
Barriers to Self-Care in a Cohort of Low-Income White Women Living With HIV/AIDS: Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (11/98- 12/98) Vol. 9, No. 6, P. 22; Leenerts, Mary Hobbs; Dr. Mary Hobbs Leenerts, of the Medical College of Georgia , reports on barriers to self-care among a cohort of 12 low- income white women infected with HIV. The author delineates five categories that contribute to disconnection from self- care among the women: a failure to mobilize resources by health care providers (
TB Guidance: Aviation Week and Space Technology (11/09/98) Vol. 149, No. 19, P. 27; The World health Organization will soon publish global guidelines for the notification of airline passengers and crewmembers who may have been exposed to people infected with tuberculosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that the transmission of TB on board an airline is possible, although
Efavirenz Added to Antiretroviral Agent Treatment Guidelines for HIV Infection: Reuters Health Information Service (12/03/98); Efavirenz ( Sustiva ), which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval nearly three months ago, has been included in the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Clinical
AIDS Deaths Plunge in Metro Area [of Denver]: Rocky Mountain News Online (12/01/98); Carnahan, Ann; The AIDS mortality rate declined in the Denver metro region last year, according to reports from local health centers. The Denver Health Medical Center, the largest AIDS care center in Colorado, reported that AIDS deaths fell 47 percent between 1995 and 1997. The second largest AIDS care center in the state, University
Man Accused of Injecting H.I.V. in Son: New York Times (12/04/98) P. A16; Thomas, Jo; Prosecutors contend that a hospital laboratory technician in St. Charles, Mo., deliberately injected his now seven-year-old son with HIV when he was 11 months old. Brian Stewart is charged with first-degree assault. Stewart s defense lawyer claims that the charges are based on circumstantial evidence, pointing out that
Nonprofit Cleared for D.C. Needle Exchange: Washington Post (12/04/98) P. A22; Goldstein, Avram; An independent non-profit group will be allowed to run a needle-exchange program in Washington, D.C. The group, Prevention Works, was given clearance by D.C. Corporation Counsel John M. Ferren, the city s top lawyer. The program, which relies solely on private funding, was created following a congressional ban on the u
AIDS Is Everywhere, But Africa Looks Away: New York Times (12/04/98) P. A1; Daley, Suzanne; While some areas of Africa have extremely high rates of HIV infection, many individuals will not admit to their infection due to the attached social stigma. Additionally, many people who are at risk for the disease refuse to get tested for HIV because they are reluctant to accept the shame and burden that often accompa
For Unlucky Few, Gene Sends H.I.V. on Wild Stampede: New York Times (12/04/98) P. A1; Kolata, Gina; According to a study in today s issue of Science, progression to AIDS can be accelerated by a certain allele of the CCR5 promoter gene. Approximately 10 percent of people have the variant of the gene, which regulates the activity of the gene that encodes for a protein used by HIV for cellular entry, report Dr. Stephen
HIV's Early Home and Inner Life: Science (11/27/98) Vol. 282, No. 5394, P. 1630; Balter, Michael; Biochemist Wesley Sundquist of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and associates recently reported that they were able to replicate--for the first time--cone-shaped structures similar to HIV s core. The scientists, who explained their experiments at the recent Colloquium of the Lemanique Center for AIDS Research i
Vpx Is Required for Dissemination and Pathogenesis of SIV(SM) PBj: Evidence of Macrophage-Dependent Viral Amplification: Nature Medicine (12/98) Vol. 4, No. 12, P. 1401; Hirsch, V.M.; Sharkey, M.E.; Brown, C.R.; et al.; The SIV(SM) PBj 6.6 viral accessory protein Vpx appears to be necessary for productive in vivo SIV infection of macrophages. Researchers from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and elsewhere intravenously or intrarectally inoculated pigtailed macaques with either wild- type SIV(SM) PBj, SIV(SM)
Evidence for a Newly Discovered Cellular Anti-HIV-1 Phenotype: Nature Medicine (12/98) Vol. 4, No. 12, P. 1397; Simon, James H.M.; Gaddis, Nathan C.; Fouchier, Ron A.M.; et al.; Researchers investigated the function of the HIV-1 virion infectivity factor (Vif), finding that the protein appears to counteract a newly discovered activity in human cells that otherwise inhibits virus activity. They analyzed HIV- infectivity in cells that support the replication of Vif- deficient HIV-1 (permissive c
Updated Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV -Infected Adults and Adolescents: The Panel on Clinical Practices for Treatment of HIV Infection; The Panel on Clinical Practices for Treatment of HIV Infection has recently updated the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents (The Living Document). The Guidelines are available through the HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service Web site at http://hivatis.org and from th
Urine Test Finds HIV When Blood Test Can't: Salt Lake Tribune Online (12/03/98); A large-scale study of HIV screening found that in some cases urine tests showed antibodies against HIV-1 in some low-risk individuals, while blood tests from the same individuals did not. According to the Clinical Reference Laboratory in Kansas, one of the largest testing labs in the country, approximately one of ever
Across the USA: Montana: USA Today (12/03/98) P. 22A; With over 100 reported AIDS cases in southwest Montana, the region has the most reported cases in the state since 1985. Statistics show that Deer Lodge had 12 cases, while Helena and Butte had 33, and Bozeman had 19 cases.
Region Sees AIDS Cases Decline: Post-Tribune Online (12/03/98); Taylor, Mark; The Aliveness Project of Northwest Indiana has announced that the region showed a decline in the number of new HIV/AIDS cases, with levels falling in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties in 1997 and 1998. The numbers were verified through the Indiana Department of Health s Division of HIV. According to project president
Officials Scramble to Contact Inmates Put at Risk by Messy Dentist: Boston Globe Online (12/02/98); Breen, Cristina C.; Almost 200 former inmates in Albany, N.Y., may have been placed at risk for HIV by a dentist who used dirty drill bits on their teeth. Officials are trying to contact the former Albany County jail inmates who received care from Dr. David L. Weinstein. Jail superintendent Edward Szostak expressed his surprise and confus
Transfusion Recipients Warned of Faulty AIDS Tests: Baltimore Sun (12/03/98) P. 2A; The New York Blood Center, the largest independent blood bank in the United States , has issued warnings to thousands of transfusion recipients in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Memphis, notifying them that the transfused blood may have been improperly tested for HIV and hepatitis. Two supervisors for the blood bank were con
STD Rate Higher Than Previously Believed: USA Today (12/03/98); Painter, Kim; A report released Wednesday by the American Social Health Association and Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that there may be as many as 3 million more new sexually transmitted disease infections in the United States than previously estimated. According to the study, there were 15.3 million new STD infections in 1996,
Structure of a Covalently Trapped Catalytic Complex of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase: Implications for Drug Resistance: Science (11/27/98) Vol. 282, No. 5394, P. 1669; Huang, Huifang; Chopra, Rajiv; Verdine, Gregory L.; et al.; A team of Harvard University researchers discovered the structure of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) while covalently trapped in a complex with a DNA template:primer and a deoxynuclease triphosphate (dNTP). HIV-1 RT is composed of two chains with four common domains, referred to as fingers, palm, thumb, and connection
Global Perspective From International AIDS Society President Mark Wainberg: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (12/02/98) Vol. 280, No. 21, P. 1811; In an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Association , Dr. Mark Wainberg, president of the International AIDS Society (IAS), comments on current AIDS prevention and treatment strategies. Wainberg believes that a vaccine against HIV is possible, but there is no certainty that such a vaccine will be avail
An HIV-Resistant Allele Is Exceptionally Frequent in New Guinean Highlanders: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (12/02/98) Vol. 280, No., P. 1830; Su, Bing; Chakraborty, Ranajit; Jin, Li; et al.; In a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association , researchers from the University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health and Fudan University in Shanghai, China , report the high frequency of the SDF1-3 A allele in two populations of non-Austronesian-speaking New Guinean highlanders.
Ignorance Fuels HIV/AIDS Epidemic in China: Inside China Today Online (11/30/98); China could face serious problems because of AIDS, according to officials. Wu Zunyou, an AIDS expert at the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine, predicted Monday that the number of HIV cases will increase significantly over the next few years, while the World Health Organization s Alan Schnur estimated that ther
Despite Epidemic, South Africa Cuts AZT Project: Boston Globe Online (12/01/98) P. A17; Knox, Richard A.; Dr. Nkosazana Zuma, South Africa s health minister, canceled in early October a pilot project that tested the feasibility of providing AZT to 2,500 pregnant women infected with HIV. One of Zuma s aides explained that the program was cut primarily because of cost reasons, but the decision was not easy. Speaking for Zuma
AIDS' Tragic Toll: Washington Post (12/02/98) P. A29; Brown, Lester R.; A report released recently by the United Nations indicates that there are extremely high rates of HIV infection in sub- Saharan Africa and that some countries there will see a major drop in their average life expectancy. According to Lester R. Brown, president of the Worldwatch Institute, the problem is becoming a huma
City Blocks Needle Exchange Effort: Washington Post (12/02/98) P. B7; Goldstein, Avram; Washington, D.C. s Whitman-Walker Clinic had planned to circumvent federal budget measures preventing it from funding needle-exchange programs with government money by establishing a privately financed program. However, District officials are now preventing the clinic from creating the private group, asserting that the
Brundtland Calls for Youth-Friendly Health Services: PANA Wire Service (12/01/98); Dzisah, Melvis; On Tuesday, the director-general of the World Health Organization , Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, called on health services to become more youth-oriented in order to help stop the spread of HIV. She cited a study of pregnant South African teenagers aged 15 to 19 that found 13 percent of participants were infected with HIV
Officials Announce New HIV Initiatives: Washington Times (12/02/98) P. C2; The District of Columbia Administration for HIV/AIDS announced at a World AIDS Day event at Howard University that it will spend $900,000 on HIV prevention initiatives. Specifically, the money will go to programs for African-American women, African-American and homosexual men, and young people. The AIDS rate in the cit
A Deadly Disease That Is Getting Deadlier: Los Angeles Times--National Edition (12/02/98) P. A15; Gore, Tipper; Tipper Gore, mental health policy advisor to President Clinton, states that high-intensity anti-HIV efforts must continue and that people must not become complacent, even though advancements in treatment have helped to curb the epidemic. In a commentary, Gore reminds that an estimated 33 million individuals worldwide c
$10 Million Pledged for AIDS Orphans: Washington Times (12/02/98) P. A7; President Clinton announced on Tuesday, World AIDS Day, $10 million in grants for the care of AIDS orphans and spotlighted a 30 percent increase in funding to the National Institutes of Health for global HIV prevention research. The grants will likely have the greatest effect on Africa, where there are nearly 8 million
Treating External Genital Warts: U.S. Pharmacist (11/98) Vol. 23, No. 11, P. 117; Small, Ralph E.; Hobnaker, Marsha R.; Kennedy, Daniel T.; The 1991 Annual Report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that there were about 24 million people in the United States with genital warts, making it the most common sexually transmitted disease in the country. Experts estimated in 1994 that approximately 750,000 new cases of genital warts are r
Declining Seroprevalence in a Very Large HIV Epidemic: Injection Drug Users in New York City, 1991 to 1996: American Journal of Public Health (12/98) Vol. 88, No. 12, P. 1801; Des Jarlais, Don C.; Perlis, Theresa; Friedman, Samuel R.; et al.; Researchers, led by Dr. Don C. Des Jarlais of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, report that there was a decrease in the HIV seroprevalence among injection drug users in New York City between 1991 and 1996. The researchers combined data from five studies of IDUs, evaluating 11,334 serum samples for HIV infect
Rise in HIV Infections: Irish Times Online (12/01/98); O'Connor, Alison; The Dublin AIDS Alliance reports that the number of HIV infections in Ireland has increased steadily, with people aged 10-to-24 accounting for half of all new infections. Department of Health figures show that heterosexuals have the highest rate of new infections, at 35 percent. Rates of sexually transmitted diseases
AmFAR Poll Shows Cavalier AIDS Attitude: United Press International (11/30/98); A Harris poll by the American Foundation for AIDS Research ( AmFAR ) indicates that most Americans are not particularly concerned with their risk of contracting HIV. According to Mithilde Krim, chairman of AmFAR, Most Americans think they are more likely to be shot by a total stranger or go completely deaf rather than
Saudi Arabia: 349 With HIV Deported: New York Times (12/01/98) P. A10; Between June 1997 and June 1998, 349 HIV-positive foreigners were deported from Saudi Arabia , according to the Okaz newspaper in Jiddah. The deported people--maids, drivers, and laborers--were all discovered to be infected through the mandatory HIV testing that is required for work permits.
Mandela Wills South Africans to End Silence Over AIDS: Reuters (12/01/98); Baker, Luke; Speaking at a World AIDS Day rally, President Nelson Mandela urged South Africans to speak out about HIV and AIDS. South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world. According to a report released by UNAIDS , the disease threatens to reverse progress in human development and the promotion of democ
AIDS Serious Threat to South Africa: Washington Times (12/01/98) P. A12; Dr. Peter Piot, head of the joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS, announced Monday that HIV poses a grave threat to South Africa . Two-thirds of the estimated 33 million HIV-infected people worldwide live in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 2 million people are expected to die of AIDS in the region this year--four times the t
AIDS Blamed for Reversing Health Gains in Poor Nations: New York Times (12/01/98) P. A15; Crossette, Barbara; The United Nations Children s Fund asserts that the AIDS crisis in many poorer nations threatens to eliminate 50 years of progress. In 23 countries, including many in sub-Saharan Africa, the crisis is already reversing gains in child survival. Carol Bellamy, executive director of UNICEF, explained that more children ar
AIDS Funding to Get a Boost: USA Today (12/01/98) P. 11A; Page, Susan; President Clinton will announce today measures to increase funding for HIV research as part of World AIDS Day. The funding will include $200 million for AIDS vaccine research at the National Institutes of Health this year, $164 million for global AIDS treatment and prevention research, $10 million in emergency relief f
New TB Guidelines: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (11/25/98) Vol. 280, No. 20, P. 1735; New guidelines for the protection of health care workers exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been released by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The new guidelines endorse the use of effective respiratory protection, optimal ventilation in clinical spaces, and the regular update of
Improving Patient Compliance With HIV Treatment Regimens: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (11/25/98) Vol. 280, No. 20, P. 1745; Ungvarski, Peter J.; Wainberg, Mark A.; Friedland, Gerald; In a letter to the editor, Peter J. Ungvarski of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York responds to a recent article on patient adherence to anti-HIV regimens, noting that clinicians play a major role in treatment success through their prescription of medication. Ungvarski cites a study of 202 HIV-infected patients whi
Postexposure Prophylaxis After Nonoccupational HIV Exposure: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (11/25/98) Vol. 280, No. 20, P. 1769; Lurie, Peter; Miller, Suellen; Hecht, Frederick; et al.; Dr. Peter Lurie and others consider clinical, ethical, and policy issues pertaining to the use of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for individuals possibly exposed to HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocates the use of PEP for people occupationally exposed to HIV; however, there are an increasing num
Risk of Transmitting HIV to Patients Is Small, CSA Says: American Medical News (11/23/98-11/30/98) Vol. 41, No. 44, P. 23; Stapleton, Stephanie; The American Medical Association House of Delegates will review in December a Council on Scientific Affairs (CSA) report on the risk of HIV and hepatitis B transmission from health care workers to patients. The CSA report found that the risk of transmitting HIV to patients is small, but that the risk of hepatitis B tra
World AIDS Day Is Drawing Renewed Enthusiasm, Advocates Say: New York Times (11/28/98) P. A15; Richardson, Lynda; AIDS advocates assert that the designation of December 1 as World AIDS Day, now in its 11th year, is receiving renewed attention. As the public increasingly perceives the AIDS crisis as less of an issue, advocates and HIV-infected people have increased attention on the disease, according to some activists. The heighten
Wake-Up Call Is Sounded for Hepatitis C: Los Angeles Times--National Edition (11/27/98) P. A1; Marquis, Julie; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently targeted hepatitis C, which is believed to infect 4 million people in the United States . However, despite the fact that hepatitis C virus (HCV) may infect more than four times as many Americans as HIV, no new funds have been allocated to support the campaign.
Swiss Voters Reject Proposal That Would Legalize Heroin: USA Today (11/30/98) P. 14A; A measure that would legalize heroin and other narcotics was voted down Sunday in Switzerland by almost a three-to-one margin. While the measure was designed to reduce drug- trafficking and eliminate the black market, many voters were afraid that the measure would entice drug tourists and traffickers to the nation whil
AIDS Research Grants Tied to Pledge on Vaccines' Costs: Washington Post (11/26/98) P. A6; Brown, David; The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) has agreed to provide a total of about $9 million in funding for AIDS vaccine research conducted by AlphaVax of Durham, N.C., and a research team in Oxford, England. AlphaVax is attempting to fashion a vaccine using a modified form of the Venezuelan equine encephalitis v
Study: Drugs Cut European AIDS Deaths: Washington Post (11/27/98) P. A35; A study by Amanda Mocroft and colleagues at the Royal Free Hospital and University College Medical School in London indicates that the AIDS-related mortality rate in Europe has dropped 80 percent since anti-HIV combination treatments were introduced four years ago. Mocroft noted that there is nothing else we could find
New FDA Rules Force Drug Makers to Detail Youth-Specific Effects: Wall Street Journal (11/30/98) P. B8; Pharmaceutical companies will be required to provide physicians with specific information on the effects of medications on children, according to new rules from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The regulations also permit the FDA to require pediatric testing of certain drugs under compelling circumstances. The
Technique Uses Plant Cells to Grow Herpes Virus: Los Angeles Times--National Edition (11/30/98) P. C5; Jacobs, Paul; Researchers report in the December issue of Nature Biochemistry that they have been able to design a soy plant that can produce antibodies to the genital herpes virus. In experiments with mice, the antibodies appear to have a protective effect against the disease. The antibodies have yet to be tested in humans and are
Mandatory Name Reporting of HIV Infection: Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (11/98- 12/98) Vol. 9, No. 6, P. 80; Bloomer, Susan; Susan Bloomer of the Johns Hopkins University AIDS Service in Baltimore, Md., discusses the complex issues surrounding name reporting of people with HIV in the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. While traditional surveillance methods --which are used to track diseases such as syphilis--involve counselin
HIV/AIDS Risk in the College Population: Modifying the Culture in a Private Religious University: Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (10/98- 12/98) Vol. 9, No. 6, P. 72; Sharts-Hopko, Nancy C.; Bonas Jr., Gary H.; Villanova University researchers examined the success of the AIDS Task Force HIV/AIDS intervention among the student population at a private religious university. The program was established in 1991 to address HIV/AIDS related issues in the student body, which is considered an at-risk population. The organization never
Why It's Really Hard to Draw Blood in China: U.S. News and World Report (11/09/98) Vol. 125, No. 18, P. 44; Fang, Bay; In an effort to reduce the spread of blood-borne diseases, such as HIV, the Chinese government is attempting to stop the sale of blood with a law that went into effect on Oct. 1 requiring that all blood products come from volunteers. Many countries banned the practice of payment for blood donation long ago, since there
FDA Approves Nevirapine for Pediatric HIV Infection: Reuters Health Information Services (11/24/98); The Food and Drug Administration approved nevirapine , a non- nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), for use in HIV-infected children. Nevirapine is the first NNRTI to be approved for children. Clinical trials showed the drug to effectively suppress HIV-1 viral load in children and to be well-tolerated, al
Health Workers Concerned About Loss of Fears of AIDS: Billings Gazette Online (11/24/98); Health officials worry that some people may be losing their fear of HIV/AIDS. With the rate of HIV infection increasing among people aged 15 to 24 years and in the rural population, the problem has certainly not disappeared. Wendy Doley, director of AIDS testing and counseling services at the Flathead County health dep
Antiretroviral Therapy During Asymptomatic HIV Infection Saves Immune Function: Reuters Health Information Services (11/24/98); The Swiss HIV Cohort Study has found that the administration of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to asymptomatic HIV-positive patients early in the course of infection can help preserve pre-therapy levels of immune function. The researchers determined that treatment with zidovudine, lamivudine, and
British Lovers Do Not Fear AIDS: PA News (11/24/98); Raif, Shenai; According to the Durex Global Sex Survey, 50 percent of people surveyed in Britain do not fear AIDS. Comparatively, 20 percent of respondents in France and 25 percent of people surveyed in Germany do not worry about the disease. According to the survey, which was conducted in 14 nations, only participants in
Netherlands: Heroin Experiment Extended: New York Times (11/25/98) P. A13; The Netherlands will extend its trial distribution of free heroin to drug addicts, the Dutch Health Ministry announced. The program will be continued following a three-month trial period that showed no serious or undesired side-effects.
AIDS Drug Makers Say Deaths Down: Las Vegas Sun Online (11/24/98); Pharmaceutical companies launched five new AIDS drugs in 1998 and are developing 113 new medicines to treat the disease, according to figures released Tuesday by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The organization, which released the figures in an effort to highlight hope for the future, cited th
'Mad Cow' Fear Leads U.K. to Destroy Parts of All Donated Blood: Wall Street Journal (11/25/98) P. A1; Stecklow, Steve; The United Kingdom will destroy nearly all blood plasma donated in Britain due to concerns about the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, replacing the blood products with plasma from the United States . The move comes two and a half years after the BSE scare struck the Unite
Updated Estimates of Condom Effectiveness: Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (11/98- 12/98) Vol. 9, No. 6, P. 88; Pinkerton, Steven David; Abramson, Paul Richard; Turk, Mary Elsie; Dr. Steven David Pinkerton of the Medical College of Wisconsin and colleagues report that condoms are 90 percent to 95 percent effective in preventing the transmission of HIV when used consistently. A 1993 study had shown that condoms were only 69 percent effective in preventing transmission, but the authors note that
HAART and Host: Balancing the Response to HIV-1: Lancet (11/21/98) Vol. 352, No. 9141, P. 1686; Morris, Kelly; While highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically affected HIV-1 treatment, researchers have begun to investigate alternative immune-based treatment methods. Scientists are exploring the use of interleukin-2 ( IL-2 ) for the expansion of the CD4 T-cell pools. Some studies indicate that the drug may h
Few Fear Large Jump in STD Rates: Advocate (11/24/98) No. 773, P. 20; While some rates of sexually transmitted diseases among homosexual men and women have risen over 70 percent in recent years, a recent survey of more than 2,300 gay men and lesbians in New York City, Los Angeles, Denver, and San Francisco found that many respondents do not appear to worry about infection. According to t
Drugs and Drug Policy: The Case for a Slow Fix: Issues in Science and Technology (Fall 1998) Vol. 15, No. 1, P. 45; Kleiman, Mark A. R.; Current drug policies are causing more harm than good, partly because of the formidable complexity of the problem authorities are attempting to manage, according to Mark A.R. Kleiman, editor of the Drug Policy Analysis Bulletin and a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles. Drugs and drug users cannot
Across the USA: Texas: USA Today (11/24/98) P. 23A; In an effort to determine the hepatitis C rates in Texas prisons, some 3,000 inmates will be tested for the disease. Officials expect infection rates to be higher in units composed of prisoners with a history of drug use.
Upsurge in Hepatitis C Taxes Medical Facilities: Houston Chronicle (11/23/98) P. 1A; Snuder, Mike; An increase in the number of people with hepatitis C and the number of people desiring to get tested for the virus that causes the infection has resulted in a strain on public health agencies and private liver specialists in Texas and across the United States . Media exposure and information concerning the virus has dr
UN Aide Asks Debt Respite to Fight AIDS: Boston Globe Online (11/24/98) P. A4; Knox, Richard A.; Dr. Peter Piot, director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, asked international lending organizations on Monday to forgive debts by developing nations heavily affected by HIV if those countries consent to spend the funds on HIV- fighting programs. Piot called for more support from the international commun
Helping AIDS Patients Have Safer Sex: New York Times (11/24/98) P. D7; Zuger, Abigail; Infection with HIV can cause patients to experience sexual dysfunction, with associated depression often limiting a patient s sexual drive. In men, decreased testosterone levels can cause fatigue and an inability to function sexually. Many male patients receive testosterone treatment to alleviate these problems, and th
World AIDS Report Says Epidemic Is Growing: USA Today (11/24/98) P. 3A; Sternberg, Steve; An annual report released Monday by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS indicates that the number of HIV-infected people increased 10 percent last year, with over 33 million people worldwide now carrying the virus. According to the World AIDS Day Report, half of the new infections were in people aged 15 years
Peptide Inhibitors of HIV-1 Protease and Viral Infection of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes Based on HIV-1 Vif: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science Online (11/10/98) Vol. 95, No. 23, P. 13865; Potash, Mary Jane; Bentsman, Galina; Muir, Tom; et al.; Researchers from Columbia University and Rockefeller University in New York conducted experiments to determine whether the HIV-1 virion infectivity factor (Vif) could serve as the basis for the design of new protease inhibitors and treatment for HIV-1 infection. The researchers synthesized peptide derivatives from the
Detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Nasopharyngeal Aspirate Samples in Children (Research Letter): Lancet (11/21/98) Vol. 352, No. 9141, P. 1681; Franchi, Luis Miguel; Cama, Rosa I.; Gilman, Robert H.; et al.; Luis Miguel Franchi and others from the Institut de Salud del Nino in Lima, Peru , compared the use of gastric aspiration and nasopharyngeal aspiration in children suspected to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis to obtain bacterial confirmation of infection. Often, children cannot produce an adequate sputum s
Prick and Tell: POZ (11/98) No. 41, P. 88; Lands, Lark; People concerned about their HIV status can opt for home testing with the Food and Drug Administration-approved Home Access HIV-1 Test System. The test costs $39.95 and includes an easy-to-use lancet for drawing blood, a card for the sample, and a pre-paid shipping envelope. The standard mail-in result will supply resu
Smoking May Impair Protection Against Lung Infection in HIV- Positive Individuals: Reuters Health Information Services (11/20/98); According to a study appearing in the November issue of the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care, cigarette smoking may suppress the percentage and absolute number of CD4 and CD8 cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in HIV- positive patients, which may in turn cause a decrease in lung defenses against inf
Spread of HIV Tied to Microbe: Bergen Record Online (11/21/98); Mosk, Matthew; New research indicates that the sexually transmitted microorganism Mycoplasma genitalium may have a significant role in the heterosexual transmission of HIV. According to Dr. Donald B. Louria of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, patients co-infected with the microorganism and HIV had three times t
Board OKs HIV Case Reporting: Dallas Morning News Online (11/21/98); Stutz, Terrence; The Texas Board of Health unanimously voted on Friday to require medical providers to report the names of HIV-infected people in the state as of January 1. The chairman of the board, Dr. Walter Wilkerson, said that the measure will improve HIV surveillance, allowing for increased tracking of partners and improving trea
Needle Exchange Programs Spark Heated Battles: Boston Globe Online (11/22/98) P. B9; Cohen, Nancy Eve; In an effort to reduce the spread of HIV, legislators in Holyoke, Mass., are planning to introduce a measure allowing for a needle-exchange program. However, state Rep. Denis Murphy (D-Springfield) is planning to introduce a bill that will deregulate the sale of needles, which may undercut the Holyoke measure. Murphy s
Across the USA: Mississippi: USA Today (11/23/98) P. 13A; Approximately 120 students at Gautier High School in Gautier, Miss., were tested for tuberculosis after a student tested positive for the disease. Some students have asserted that the state Health Department and school officials have been negligent in completely informing them on the situation and argue that the whole
Vietnam Will Require 180 Million Condoms by Early 2000s: Asia Pulse Wire Service (11/23/98); Vietnam will need almost 180 million condoms a year early next century to help prevent the spread of HIV, according to a study by the National AIDS Committee. The committee also reported that the annual expenditure for condoms could double over the next five years, with $2 million being spent next year. The study was
Asia Is Front Line Against Global TB Epidemic, WHO Boss Warns: Boston Globe Online (11/23/98); Mcdowell, Patrick; Gro Harlem Brundtland, the director general of the World Health Organization , has warned that global efforts to combat tuberculosis will be futile unless the disease is contained in Asia. Brundtland urged governments, donors, and international organizations to join in anti-TB initiatives. Her videotaped remarks were p
Oral Thymic Extract for Chronic Hepatitis C in Patients Previously Treated With Interferon: Annals of Internal Medicine Online (11/15/98) Vol. 129, No. 10, P. 797; Raymond, Robert S.; Fallon, Michael B.; Abrams, Gary A.; Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham conducted a study of the over-the-counter herbal dietary supplement, Complete Thymic Formula, which is claimed to be beneficial for people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Dr. Robert S. Raymond and colleagues evaluated the effect of the medication in a grou
Risks for HIV Infection Among Persons Residing in Rural Areas and Small Cities--Selected Sites, Southern United States, 1995 -1996: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (11/20/98) Vol. 47, No. 45, P. 974; This article presents the characteristics of people with HIV who live in rural communities in the Southeast. A survey of HIV/AIDS patients in four Southeastern states found a high risk for HIV acquisition through sexual contact, although, prior to infection, most did not perceive themselves at risk (52 percent of men a
Combination Saquinavir/Zidovudine Delays Zidovudine Resistance: Reuters Health Information Services (11/19/98); The development of viral resistance to zidovudine appears to be delayed by the addition of saquinavir to zidovudine therapy, an Italian group of researchers reports in the December issue of the Journal of Medical Virology. Thirty- seven antiretroviral-naive HIV-positive patients were analyzed for viral resistance after
Reversal of Blood Ruling Sought: Toronto Globe and Mail (11/18/98) P. A9; Claridge, Thomas; The Canadian Red Cross Society lawyers and relatives of people who were infected with HIV through tainted blood transfusions are trying to overturn a trial judge s ruling that the organization s negligence in testing blood donors did not necessarily expose it to damages. Justice Stephen Borins found that inadequate scr
Health: Women Gamble With Holiday Sex: BBC News Online (11/20/98); According to researchers at the University of Cardiff, men are more likely than women to have sex with a new partner when on holiday, but women on holiday are more likely to have unprotected sex with a new partner. The scientists examined sexual habits of 400 people aged 18 years to 34 years who had traveled in the pre
HIV Campaign Targets Young People: ABC News Online (11/20/98); The United Nations is undertaking a worldwide campaign against the spread of HIV in young people. In Australia , the Force for Change Campaign will be coordinated by the AIDS Trust of Australia. The program attempts to raise awareness in young people concerning HIV transmission, treatment, and social issues. According
Women, Minorities With AIDS Less Likely to Get New Treatment: Boston Herald Online (11/19/98); According to a study presented at the AIDS at the Millennium conference on Wednesday, women, minorities, and heterosexuals with AIDS are less likely to get effective, new treatment for HIV. The study, conducted by Dr. Valerie Stone of Brown University School of Medicine, found that 75 percent of men with AIDS received
Nationline: HIV Controversy: USA Today (11/20/98) P. 3A; Bacon, John; The Maine Supreme Judicial Court unanimously upheld a ruling allowing Valerie Emerson to refuse HIV-treatment for her four- year-old son. Emerson will not treat her son with combination therapy , believing the anti-HIV drugs could kill him; her three-year-old daughter died while taking
Sporadic Hepatitis E in Austria: New England Journal of Medicine (11/19/98) Vol. 339, No. 21, P. 1554; Worm, Harald C.; Wurzer, Herbert; Frosner, Gert; Austrian and German doctors report the case of a 65-year-old man who was diagnosed with sporadic hepatitis E infection in Austria. The man had not traveled outside of the country in more than six months and did not have contact with food or people from abroad. Hepatitis E infection is generally found in tropical or sub
Combination Therapy for Hepatitis C Infection: New England Journal of Medicine (11/19/98) Vol. 339, No. 21, P. 1549; Liang, T. Jake; With about 4 million people in the United States and an estimated 100 million worldwide infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), the hepatitis C-related death rate is expected to drastically increase in the next few years. Current treatment includes the use of interferon alfa, which produces a normalization of aminotrans
Premature Heart Disease May Be Associated With HIV Protease Inhibitor Use: Reuters Health Information Services (11/18/98); Researchers at the 4th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection presented two cases of HIV-infected patients who developed premature coronary artery disease while taking protease inhibitors . The two patients, both males, are believed to have developed the disorders as a side effect of their anti-HIV the
Youth Popping Pills at Alarming Rate, RCMP Says: Toronto Globe and Mail Online (11/18/98); Christie, James; The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has reported that 20 percent of teenage athletes in Quebec use stimulants to enhance performance and about 1 percent inject substances, often sharing needles. A national study, conducted by the Canadian Center for Ethics in Sport, investigated drug use among 16,000 students in t
Proposal Would Test Live HIV Vaccine on Terminally Ill: Boston Globe Online (11/19/98) P. A5; Knox, Richard A.; A proposed plan by researchers from the University of Massachusetts and Harvard University would test an HIV vaccine in a group of terminally ill cancer patients. Under the proposal, discussed at an AIDS meeting in Boston on Wednesday, the patients would be inoculated with a live attenuated HIV strain. Dr. John Sulliva
Across the USA: Oregon: USA Today (11/19/98) P. 6A; Deaths due to AIDS fell by 62 percent between 1996 and 1997 in Oregon, declining from 238 to 90. The Oregon Health Division reports that 2,497 people in the state have died from AIDS since 1981.
Some States Refuse to Pay for HIV Drug Unless Maker DuPont Agrees to Discounts: Wall Street Journal (11/19/98) P. A8; Waldholz, Michael; A number of large states, including New York and California, have decided not to pay for DuPont s HIV drug Sustiva unless the drug maker agrees to discuss significant discounts. Although the drug, which can be taken just once daily, has been widely accepted since its launch in September, states are balking at the steep
Sexual-Behavior Study Cites HIV Patients: Washington Times (11/19/98) P. A9; A study of 190 HIV-infected individuals in Alabama found that subjects who take protease inhibitors may be less likely to practice safe sex. Subjects receiving the medications reported using condoms less than half the time while having sex. Condom use was less frequent among male homosexual subjects compared to heteros
Study Says AIDS Rate Plummets in 4 Cities: USA Today (11/19/98) P. 4A; According to a study presented at a meeting of the American Public Health Association, HIV infection rates decreased in four cities in the United States among homosexual and bisexual men. The study, conducted by Joseph Catania of the University of California at San Francisco, found that HIV prevalence decreased among a
Rapid HIV Screening During Labor: Journal of the American Medical Association Online (11/18/98) Vol. 280, No. 19, P. 1661; Balano, Kirsten; Minkoff, Howard; O'Sullivan, Mary Jo; et al.; Doctors from the University of California at San Francisco and San Francisco General Hospital discuss the merits and problems with the use of rapid HIV-1 antibody screening during labor. They respond to a suggestion by Drs. Howard Minkoff and Mary Jo O Sullivan that rapid HIV screening can, and should, be systematicall
Interferon Alfa-2b Alone or in Combination With Ribavirin for the Treatment of Relapse of Chronic Hepatitis C: New England Journal of Medicine (11/19/98) Vol. 339, No. 21, P. 1493; Davis, Gary L.; Esteban-Mur, Rafael; Rustgi, Vinod; et al.; According to a study by the International Hepatitis Interventional Therapy Group, ribavirin used in combination with interferon alfa-2b results in greater rates of sustained virologic, biochemical, and histological response in patients with relapse of chronic hepatitis C compared to treatment with interferon alfa-2b al
Interferon Alfa-2b Alone or in Combination With Ribavirin as Initial Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C: New England Journal of Medicine (11/19/98) Vol. 339, No. 21, P. 1485; McHutchison, John G.; Gordon, Stuart C.; Schiff, Eugene R.; et al.; Researchers for the Hepatitis Interventional Therapy Group present the results of study evaluating treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a group of 912 patients using either interferon alfa-2b treatment alone or in combination with ribavirin. The patients received one of four regimens:
EU Looks to Help Russia With Tuberculosis Crisis: Reuters (11/17/98); Alison, Sebastian; With the rise of tuberculosis in Russia , European Union aid officials are looking for increased funding to help combat the spread of the disease, particularly in prisons. The European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) budgets just $12 million for Russia out of the $500 million it spends on worldwide humanitarian ai
Health--Australia: HIV Researchers Closer to Vaccine: IPS Wire (11/17/98); Australian researchers may be closer to the development of an HIV vaccine after successfully testing the Co-X-Gene vaccine in monkeys. Scientists at the Australian National University, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, and the MacFarlane Burnet Center for Medical Research found that all
Rare HIV Mutation Can Resist All Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors: Reuters Health Information Services (11/17/98); Reidenbach, Faith; Scientists have isolated an HIV-1 strain that reportedly can confer resistance to most or all nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Their study, published in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, isolated 14 strains of HIV-1 containing a six-basepair insert in the reverse transcriptase gene
Digene, MedImmune Seek Tests to Make HPV Vaccine: Baltimore Sun (11/18/98) P. 2C; MedImmune and Digene announced they will collaborate on development of a DNA-based test for human papillomavirus, which MedImmune will use as part of its research into vaccines against the sexually transmitted disease. MedImmune, which is developing the vaccine with SmithKline Beecham, plans to use the tests in preclin
More TB Cases Drug Resistant: Study: CNews Online (11/17/98); Tuberculosis is increasingly becoming resistant to treatment drugs in Ontario, Canada , according to a new study. Analysis of the last 10 years of TB cases showed an increasing number of instances in which infection does not respond to treatment. Dr. Frances Jamieson of Ontario s public health laboratories said that th
Ethics Panel: HIV Treatment Options Not Available to All: Boston Globe Online (11/18/98); Stashenko, Joel; A 44-member panel composed of physicians, medical ethicists, public health experts, and AIDS advocacy group members has concluded that some HIV-infected people in New York do not receive all possible treatment options. The state-sponsored panel, formed last year, found that doctors sometimes advise against certain drug