The CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases, and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for full texts of the articles.
Journal of the American Medical Association (02/09/00) Vol. 283,
No. 6, P. 791; Corey, Lawrence; Handsfield, H. Hunter
Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex viruses (HSV) and
is one of the three most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs) in the United States. The disease affects people chiefly
between the ages of 15 and 40. One problem related to the high
number of HSV infections is that the symptoms are unrecognized
and mild infections often do not attract medical attention. Most
symptoms include painless ulcers, dysuria, or discharge from the
genitals. Many infected people do not get lesions and are
unaware of the infection, and thus are at risk of unknowingly
transmitting the disease. Neonatal herpes is the most serious
problem associated with the infection, but the mother can be
treated. Genital ulcers also increase HIV transmission, and HSV
infection has been implicated in HIV transmission. The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention's advisory panel has
recommended type-specific testing for HSV, and better serologic
tests are now available. Clinicians can use viral culture to
detect HSV when diagnosing genital ulcer disease. Patients
should also be counseled to avoid HSV transmission during sex by
using condoms.
Montreal Gazette (02/16/00) P. A14; Kennedy, Mark
A criminal investigation of the tainted-blood scandal of the
1980s in which thousands of Canadians were infected with HIV and
hepatitis C has outraged critics, who accuse the Chretien
government of interfering with the investigation. The claim
refers to the Justice Department asking the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police to hand over blood-related files to allow the
government to defend itself from lawsuits by those people
infected. Reform MP Jim Abbott argued that the Chretien
government apparently does not understand the principle behind
the separation of government and enforcement. Government
officials are working with the Mounties to determine which records
can be released, as several civil lawsuits are underway.
Reuters Health Information Services (02/15/00)
Researchers from the Chicago Department of Health report that the
number of HIV-related deaths in the city have been decreasing
since 1995. The findings, published in the Archives of Internal
Medicine (2000;160:365-369), show that the decline has included
since 1997 individuals in high-risk groups, such as injection
drug users, women, African Americans, and people over 50. The
use of antiretroviral therapy has lowered HIV mortality rates,
and between 1995 and 1997, overall HIV-related mortality in
Chicago dropped 61 percent. The researchers noted, however, that
there are still questions about whether the mortality changes
will continue and about the effects of multidrug-resistant HIV.
Reuters (02/15/00); Baxter, Barry
Botswana began on Tuesday a large study of the HIV-1C subtype, an
HIV strain particularly prevalent in Africa. Max Essex, head of
the Harvard AIDS Institute, is working with the government of
Botswana to study the strain, using an $18.2 million grant from
Bristol-Myers Squibb. Until now, HIV research has centered on
HIV-1B, which is found in mostly developed nations, while HIV-1C
is found throughout southern and east Africa and India.
Scientists in the joint program will research HIV-1C's ability to
resist treatment.
Africa News Service (02/15/00); Hampande, Douglas
A 1999 country program review by the Danish Association for
International Cooperation has found that 98 percent of
tuberculosis patients in Zambia who are between the ages of
20 and 40 are also infected with HIV. An estimated 19.7 percent
of all adults in the country are infected with HIV. HIV
prevalence in the African nation ranges from about 28 percent in
some urban centers to 13.6 percent in rural areas. Over 1.5
million Zambians are expected to die from AIDS in the next 15
years, according to the review.
Kyodo News Service (02/15/00)
A two-day AIDS workshop opened Tuesday in Cambodia. The meeting,
part of an effort to control the spread of HIV, attracted about
100 people from international agencies and government and
nongovermental organization in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam,
and China. Cambodian officials said the country has the highest
rate of HIV infection in Asia, with 100 new cases of HIV and 20
AIDS-related deaths each day.
Africa News Service (02/15/00); Mucunguzi, Julius
The Director of AIDS Information Center in Uganda, Jane Harriet
Namwebya, said Monday that over 400,000 Ugandans have taken HIV
tests since the center opened in 1990. Namwebya noted, however,
that it is still a small number when an estimated 2 million
Ugandans are infected with HIV. Dr. Donna Kabatesi from the AIDS
Control Program of the Ministry of Health also said there should
be follow-up for people who test HIV-negative, to help encourage
them to stay free from the virus.
"Teens Join Call for Abstinence, Youths Urged to Forgo Sex"
San Antonio Express-News (02/15/00) P. 9B; Hoholik, Suzanne
Castle Hills First Baptist Church in San Antonio hosted 1,000
teens on Valentine's Day to discuss abstinence from sex until
marriage. Teens from 30 local churches listened to live music
and heard speaker Mike Long, who said teens need to know that
condoms are not 100 percent effective in preventing sexually
transmitted diseases or pregnancy. The teens were asked to sign
a promise to wait until marriage to have sex. The meeting was
part of the "True Love Waits" series of events planned for this
week in San Antonio
AIDS Clinical Care (02/00) Vol. 12, No. 2, P. 13; Reiter, Gary S.
With the advent of combination antiretroviral therapy,
AIDS-related deaths have declined and more people are managing
HIV as a chronic illness. The method of care has come to include
a physical exam every three months that should evaluate for HIV
complications and normal health problems for adults. More common
causes of death in HIV patients are coronary disease, hepatitis
C, liver failure, myocardial infarction, suicide, non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma, pancreatitis, lung cancer, and stroke. Screening for
specific conditions should focus on hyperlipidemia,
hyperglycemia, abnormalities of the liver, hypogonadism, and the
effects of HIV Drugs. Periodic physical exam screening should
include Pap smears for women and testing for human
papillomavirus. Routine screenings for hepatitis A, B, and C are
recommended, and patients should also be screened for sexually
transmitted diseases and substance abuse. Many HIV patients
benefit from prevention counseling, especially since the success
of antiviral therapy has led some to become more lax in terms of
prevention.