Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary Date: Wed Feb 26 10:31:02 PST 1997 (163 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 1997, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD AIDS Daily Summary Wednesday, February 26, 1997 The CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1996, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ****************************************************** "Insurer Is Ordered to Pay, Despite Fraud" "Senate Backs Family-Planning Aid Overseas" "Council Passes Bill Giving Tattooing a Mark of Approval" "Small Stock Focus: Cerus" "A Cure in Search of Diseases" "Clinic Dispensing Marijuana, Paper Says" "Euro Court Okays Finland for Seizing AIDS Records" "UCSF Pediatric HIV Program Slated for New National Funding" "A Two-Minute Test for the AIDS Virus" "Three New Human Herpesviruses (HHV6, 7, and 8)" ****************************************************** "Insurer Is Ordered to Pay, Despite Fraud" New York Times (02/26/97) P. A22 A life insurance company must pay the death benefits on the policy of a man who was HIV-positive and sent an imposter to take his medical examination, the California Supreme Court has ruled. Amex Life Assurance waited longer than the allowed two years to claim fraud in the case. Jose Morales applied for a life insurance policy in 1991, but did not disclose that he had HIV and sent another man to take the mandatory medical examination. Despite differences in height, weight, and handwriting, the company "ignored this information and merely accepted the premiums," said Justice Ming Chin. "Senate Backs Family-Planning Aid Overseas" New York Times (02/26/97) P. A12; Seelye, Katharine Q. The Senate approved a measure Tuesday to allow the early release of funds for foreign family-planning programs, clearing the path for $385 million to be sent to more than 100 countries for contraceptives and training programs starting March 1. The Clinton administration-backed initiative, passed by the House two weeks ago, was expected to pass by a slim margin and was approved by a vote of 53-46. Supporters of the measure said the aid would help reduce the number of abortions, unintended pregnancies, and maternal and infant deaths, and would also help curb the spread of HIV. "Council Passes Bill Giving Tattooing a Mark of Approval" New York Times (02/26/97) P. A27; Kennedy, Randy A bill passed Tuesday by the New York City Council would legalize tattooing in the city for the first time in more than 35 years. The Department of Health banned tattooing in 1961 following a hepatitis B outbreak, but tattoo parlors continued to operate underground. Under the new bill, tattoo artists would have to licensed by the city and would be required to pass an examination by the Health Department. Health officials objected to the bill, contending that the regulations were unnecessary because of the lack of a health threat. "Small Stock Focus: Cerus" Wall Street Journal (02/26/97) P. C7 Cerus, a company developing technologies to deactivate pathogens in blood for transfusions, gained 2.75, or 33 percent, to close at 11.125 on the Nasdaq market on Tuesday. The increase follows Morgan Stanley's initiation of coverage of the company with a "strong-buy" rating and its setting of a 12-month price target of 20. "A Cure in Search of Diseases" Financial Times (02/25/97) P. 14; Griffith, Victoria The success of protease inhibitors against HIV has renewed interest in the use of the compounds against other diseases, including hepatitis C, arthritis, cancer, and asthma. "It is logical to think that if protease inhibitors work for AIDS, they can work for other diseases," said Bear Stearns analyst David Molowa. Several firms are currently conducting research with the drugs--including Merck, for the treatment of osteoporosis, and Arris Pharmaceuticals, which has focused solely on protease inhibitors for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, anaemia, growth disorders, and other illnesses. Researchers at Vertex Pharmaceuticals are hoping to use the similarity between HIV and hepatitis C to develop a protease treatment for the liver disease. Drawbacks remain in the use of protease inhibitors, but their success against HIV is encouraging to many people working in protease research. "Clinic Dispensing Marijuana, Paper Says" St. Louis Post-Dispatch (02/25/97) P. 4A An illegal clinic in Portland, Ore., is selling marijuana to people with arthritis, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, and other serious illnesses, according to an article in The Sunday Oregonian. The Alternative Health Center, which opened six weeks ago, reportedly provides customers an eighth of an ounce of marijuana for $20 to $50, depending on their income. Marijuana cookies and brownies are also sold, the article said. Oregon is currently considering legalizing the drug for medicinal purposes. "Euro Court Okays Finland for Seizing AIDS Records" Reuters (02/25/97) The European Court of Human Rights approved on Tuesday a decision by the Finnish courts to seize the medical records of the HIV-positive wife of a man who allegedly raped women knowing he had HIV. The judges ruled that Helsinki's interference in the private life of the woman, by forcing her doctors to testify and seizing records, was justified. The woman had argued that she should not be required to testify against her husband and that her health records were confidential. The Finnish courts contended that the records were important in the case against the man, who could be convicted for attempted manslaughter for rapes he committed before March 1992, when he tested positive for HIV. The court did, however, say that Finland went too far in its actions, by publishing both the woman's name and the fact that she had AIDS in the appeal court judgment, and awarded the woman $23,000 in compensation and $36,000 for legal costs. "UCSF Pediatric HIV Program Slated for New National Funding" BW HealthWire (02/25/97) The Pediatric HIV Program at the University of California San Francisco has been selected as one of 21 clinical centers to receive funding from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease. The program conducts treatment and research in pediatric HIV and deals with psychosocial issues. It also provides care to mothers and infants with HIV, and currently oversees the care of more than 160 families. "A Two-Minute Test for the AIDS Virus" Maclean's (02/17/97) Vol. 110, No. 7, P. 70 An HIV blood-testing kit developed by Octopus Diagnostics Research of Hantsport, Nova Scotia, reportedly can detect the virus that causes AIDS in a drop of blood in two minutes, while standard tests can take up to five days. Clinical studies of the test show that its rate of false positives--less than 2 percent--is similar to other tests, but that it fails to detect HIV up to 5 percent of the time. Octopus has already contracted to provide half a million test kits to a Hong Kong distributor, and it is negotiating similar deals with other countries. The test is being considered for approval in Canada. "Three New Human Herpesviruses (HHV6, 7, and 8)" Lancet (02/22/97) Vol. 349, No. 9051, P. 558; Levy, Jay A. Three new human herpesviruses--HHV 6, 7, and 8--have been identified over the past ten years, advancing the study of diseases with potential viral components. HHV6, which infects most people by the age of one or two years, was first detected a decade ago in patients with AIDS-related lymphoma. It has been identified as the cause of exanthem subitum in infants and other febrile illnesses in young children. HHV7 also infects most of the population early in childhood. It has not been linked to human disease, except for some cases of exanthem subitum. Meanwhile, HHV8, also known as Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus or KSHV, exists in all forms of KS, independent of HIV infection. Sexual contact, especially between men, seems to be a major mode of transmission, given the high prevalence of KS among HIV-positive males. Studies seeking to detect HHV8 in body fluids have proven controversial, with some researchers finding the virus in seminal fluid and some failing to detect it. The association of HHV8 with KS has heightened interest in the role of herpesviruses in human diseases, especially cancer.