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.
"Zoster Incidence in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infected
Hemophiliacs and Homosexual Men, 1984-1997"
Journal of Infectious Diseases Online (12/99) Vol. 180, No. 6,
P. 1784; Engels, Eric A.; Rosenberg, Philip S.; Biggar,
Robert J.; et al.
Investigators from the National Cancer Institute report declines
in the incidence of zoster, a severe cutaneous eruption caused by
varicella zoster virus, among HIV-infected hemophiliacs and
homosexual men between 1984 and 1997. The researchers studied
data for more than 1,200 individuals in the District of Columbia
Gay Cohort Study and the Multicenter Hemophilia Cohort Study and
identified a total of 174 zoster cases, for an average annual
incidence of 2.5 percent. Incidence of the condition dropped
about 9 percent annually during the 14 years of follow-up. The
researchers note that "this decline was unexpected, because it
occurred despite worsening in the immune status of subjects."
They suggest that possible reasons for the drop include reporting
artifacts, better clinical care, and the loss of
zoster-susceptible individuals from the study group. Despite the
declines, the researchers note that zoster is still a key issue.
High-dose acyclovir prophylaxis can significantly reduce zoster
incidence, and while the varicella zoster virus vaccine is also a
possibility, its safety as a live virus vaccine in HIV-infected
individuals is not known.
"Vending Machines Enlisted in AIDS Fight"
New York Times (12/28/99) P. D7; Berger, Alisha
Two new plans to stop the spread of HIV are in effect in
Marseilles, France, and Vancouver, British Columbia, according to
reports in the December issue of the American Journal of Public
Health. In Marseilles, sterile needles were provided at
drugstores, needle exchange programs, and vending machines. A
1997 survey of 343 people obtaining the needles found that the
vending machines were more often used by younger addicts who were
less likely than others to have HIV or hepatitis. The lead
author of the study, Dr. Yolande Obadia, director of the Regional
Center for Disease Control of Southeastern France, believes the
vending machines appear to attract a "hidden part of the
injection-drug-user population." Meanwhile in Vancouver,
researchers studying various marketing techniques to get people
to purchase condoms found that in-store coupons for the
prophylactics was the most effective system. While a widespread
coupon distribution plan had little effect on condom sales, the
University of Manitoba researchers found that offering discount
coupons for condoms available for one day only inside the store
resulted in more consumers buying the products.
"Clinton: Cures for AIDS, Cancer Coming Next Century"
USA Today (12/28/99) P. 11A; Ullmann, Owen
President Clinton has predicted the next century will see an AIDS
vaccine and cures for cancer. In an interview for CBS' "60
Minutes II," Clinton stated that a biological weapons attack is
also possible in the 21st century. The president is currently
proposing laws that would regulate the sale of prescription drugs
over the Internet, to help prevent the sale of illegal medicines
in the United States.
USA Today (12/28/99) P. 3A; Bacon, John
New research in the journal Nature reveal that HIV may infect
women differently than men. This means a vaccine could be harder
to make for women, who were shown in the study to be initially
infected with multiple variants of HIV, while the men studied
were infected by only one variant.
"AIDS Linked to Infidelity in Dominican Republic"
Boston Globe Online (12/28/99) P. A2; Abel, David
The AIDS epidemic in the Dominican Republic is being fueled by
infidelity among husbands. The Latin American country has one of
the highest percentages of people with HIV, and married men with
multiple sex partners are a contributing factor. Statistics from
the Dominican Health Ministry show that at least 50 percent of
men have cheated on their wives, and sexual education is not
prevalent in the poor Caribbean nation. In addition, health
officials revealed that 84 percent of teenagers surveyed did not
believe they could contract HIV. Carmen Capell, the director of
a health clinic in Santo Domingo that treats AIDS patients, said,
"People [here] are just not conscious about the disease; they
think they are invulnerable." Other factors affecting the HIV
rate in Dominica are ignorance, prostitution, and the church's
opposition to condoms. An estimated 2.8 percent of the 8 million
Dominicans are infected with HIV, and that figure is expected to
reach 3.3 percent of the population by 2005, with a growing
number of infections among married women.
San Jose Mercury News (12/28/99); Krieger, Lisa M.
A California state investigation of a health technician who
reused needles has found no excess rates of infection among the
worker's patients. Blood tests found 80 infections of HIV,
hepatitis B or C among 4,890 people whose blood was drawn by
Elaine Giorgi, a former employee of SmithKline Beecham Clinical
Laboratories in Palo Alto. The rate is comparable to that of the
general population, the state Department of Health Services
report found. The results show that the re-use of needles did
not spark an outbreak of disease in the San Francisco area
residents from whom Giorgi drew blood. However, San Jose
attorney Steven Blick is suing SmithKline Beecham for emotional
distress on behalf of all the potentially infected people.
Testing was also voluntary, so the investigation did not include
all of the possible 11,700 people who had their blood drawn by
Giorgi from 1994 to 1996. Giorgi claims she washed the needles
in disinfectant, reusing them because the type she preferred are
more expensive than standard needles.
"State of the Nation's Health: Needs Improvement"
Boston Globe Online (12/27/99) P. C1; Kong, Dolores
The results of "Healthy People 2000," a health status study for
the United States, show that about 40 percent of the goals set 10
years ago for the year 2000 will not be met. In the past decade,
the risk of death for Americans from cancer, heart disease, and
homicide has declined; however, Native Americans, Hispanics,
Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders continue to have higher
rates of diseases like diabetes and tuberculosis than the entire
U.S. population. The goals for "Healthy People 2010" include
ending the racial disparities in disease found throughout the
United States. A final report about the new plan will be
released January 25 by Secretary of Health and Human Services
Donna E. Shalala and U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher.
Reuters (12/27/99)
In Minnesota, the state Corrections Department has developed
plans to educate inmates about AIDS. According to one health
expert, many inmates are at risk because they used intravenous
drugs before going to prison. Currently, Minnesota spends
$81,000 on prison AIDS programs each year.
Reuters (12/27/99)
A new HIV test developed by British researchers can help treat
HIV patients more effectively and help save lives, according to
new reports. The test can detect if HIV is hiding in the body
and can also locate the waste products made from replication of
the virus, which include circles of viral DNA that could be found
in white blood cells. Doctors hope the test will lead to
treatments that can halt the progression to AIDS.