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.
USA Today (www.usatoday.com) (03/15/00) P. 14A
Sixty-one new AIDS cases were reported in Iowa last year, down
from a high of 193 in 1993. Statistics show, however, that while
African-American residents make up only 2 percent of Iowa's
population, they represent 10 percent of the AIDS cases recorded
since 1983.
Reuters (03/15/00)
A senior Ugandan official said Wednesday that the country hopes
to find donors to contribute up to $122 million to its battle
against AIDS. That figure represents about 70 percent of $182
million bill for the next five years; the government plans to
supply at least $60 million. Katenta Apuuli, the director of
Uganda's AIDS Commission, also reported that the government aims
to cut the number of new HIV infections by 25 percent in five
years.
"Up to 16 Million a Year Get Hepatitis B From Dirty Syringes, WHO
Says"
Agence France Presse (03/14/00)
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported Tuesday that between
8 million and 16 million people are infected with hepatitis B
through dirty or reused needles every year. In a statement, the
WHO noted, "Although most injections given in the world follow
safe clinical practices, poor injection practices continue to
transmit viral hepatitis and other infections on a large scale in
many countries." In addition to the millions of hepatitis
infections, the WHO said that between 80,000 and 160,000 people
contracted HIV via unsafe injections each year.
St. Petersburg Times (www.sptimes.com) (03/14/00) P. 1A; Allison,
Wes
Low reimbursement rates from managed care organizations have
forced several Tampa Bay area AIDS practices to close in recent
months. The situation is difficult for patients trying to find
new physicians, because many doctors already have too many
patients or have little experience. If the closings do not stop,
activists fear HIV and AIDS patients will be left without proper
care. Meanwhile, the new Florida Academy of HIV Physicians is
planning to lobby the state Legislature to make HIV care a
specialty. If successful, members would have greater leverage
against health maintenance organizations.
Wichita Eagle Online (www.wichitaeagle.com) (03/14/00); Rafinski,
Karen
Many women who opt for a new test for the virus that can cause
cervical cancer are paying for the procedure themselves, because
basic benefits do not cover it. Although the standard Pap smear
has helped to lower the cervical cancer death rate by 70 percent
by catching cancer early, a new test, the ThinPrep, is more
accurate. Studies show that it can detect about 65 percent more
problematic cells and reduce the number of ambiguous results by
almost 30 percent; however, it is often not covered by insurance.
This raises the question of which tests are necessary and if the
Pap exam is accurate enough to be done only once a year. While
most patients trust their doctors to offer the needed tests, most
physicians have little time to spend with each patient and may
not present all available testing options.
"Namibia: Women Press Case on Sex Risks"
Africa News Service (03/14/00); Maletsky, Christof
The Women's Manifesto Network is urging the Namibian government
to supply rape survivors and HIV-infected pregnant women with the
necessary drugs to prevent infection or to prevent HIV
transmission to their infants. The group is also calling for
comprehensive sex education. At a "Women and AIDS" forum in
Windhoek on Saturday, a keynote address from Health Minister Dr.
Libertina Amathila noted that women and girls are at risk for
HIV, because it is biologically easier for men to transmit the
virus to a women than for women to transmit the virus to men.
Many women are reluctant to ask their partners to use condoms,
because doing so may be thought evidence of a woman's infidelity
or considered disrespectful by a man. Amathila also condemned
the practice of widow inheritance--the passing of a widow to a
brother--and the dangers of circumcising boys in group ceremonies
with dirty instruments.
Naples Daily News Online (www.naplesnews.com) (03/10/00);
Freeman, Liz
A methadone clinic for heroin addicts could be opening in
southwest Florida's Lee or Collier counties. Growing heroin use
in the central and southern parts of the state has prompted
concern that a substance abuse treatment center is needed for
heroin addicts. The clinic will run on client fees and Medicaid
according to Janet Chapman, program director for Department of
Children and Families District 8 office. Four heroin deaths
occurred in Collier for 1998, and three in Lee. Heroin-related
deaths rose 52 percent in Florida from 1993 to 1998, as the price
of the drug fell. Because heroin can now be smoked or snorted,
there is less fear regarding dirty needles and HIV or hepatitis,
accounting for increasing use.
Scientist (www.the-scientist.com) (03/06/00) Vol. 14, No. 5, P.
26; Vettese-Dadey, Michelle
Chemokine receptors are valuable instruments used in finding
therapies for asthma, cancer, AIDS, inflammation, and arthritis.
A chemokine receptor has even recently shown to be a co-receptor
for HIV-1. The word chemokine is short for chemotactic
cytokines, or small secreted proteins that share 20 percent to 90
percent identity in amino acid sequence. They are produced and
released by many cell types, in response to an injury or
antibodies. The process of releasing chemokines involves the
binding of the chemokine to its receptor. Their effects are
moderated by seven transmembrane G-protein-couple chemokine
receptors, which are 40 percent to 90 percent homologous. Since
chemokines aid in cell movements towards a site of inflammation,
chemokine research could find ways to replace original therapies
for disorders like asthma, since steroids may have long-term
effects.
Maclean's (www.macleans.ca) (02/28/00) Vol. 113, No. 9, P. 63
In the ongoing case involving thousands of Canadians who became
sick from tainted blood, lawyers are debating how much they will
receive for settling the deal. While 10,000 patients will split
C$1.2 billion, lawyers in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec
hope to divide C$52.5 million amongst legal teams in each of the
three provinces and attorneys for hemophiliacs. Representatives
for the patients note, however, that they still do not know when
they will receive their compensation.