Subject: CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update Date: Tue Feb 17 07:31:07 PST 1998 (223 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 1998, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update February 17, 1998 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 NCHSTP Daily News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright 1998, Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. HEADLINES --------- GENERAL MEDIA "AIDS Researchers Appeal for Vaccine Help" "At White House, Satcher Is Sworn in as Surgeon General" "Risk Modification Important Part of Postexposure HIV Prophylaxis" "Oral Sex Can Transmit HIV" "South Africa Says 1,500 People Infected With HIV Daily" "Prostitute Alleged to Be AIDS Threat" "Australian Government to Provide Extra $1 Million for Hepatitis C Research" "And For My Next Trick" "HIV/AIDS in Prison Project Threatened: Interview With Judy Greenspan, Director" INFORMATION FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES "New Satellite Broadcast Series on HIV/AIDS-Related Issues" **************************************************************** GENERAL MEDIA **************************************************************** "AIDS Researchers Appeal for Vaccine Help" Reuters (02/15/98); Fox, Maggie Top U.S. AIDS researchers appealed for help in finding an HIV vaccine at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Philadelphia. On Sunday, Dr. Peter Kim of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said that none of the more than 40 vaccines being tested have been shown to work safely in humans. Kim also asserted that a broad range of expertise is needed in order to help understand the systemic nature of the body and HIV structure. Although a live attenuated vaccine has shown the most promise of the vaccines developed thus far, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center scientist Dr. John Moore noted that no one is entirely sure why it works. "At White House, Satcher Is Sworn in as Surgeon General" Washington Post (2/14/98) P. A11; Meckler, Laura Dr. David Satcher was sworn in as the U.S. Surgeon General on Friday, filling a position that had been vacant for more than three years. Satcher, who became the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1992, has not yet discussed his agenda in detail but said he will focus on personal responsibility for improving health. Satcher's opponents had disputed his position on AIDS experiments and needle-exchange programs, as well as his stance on abortion. During the Oval Office ceremony at the White House, President Clinton noted: "Dr. Satcher will give us plain talk and sound advice about what each of us can do to live healthier lives." "Risk Modification Important Part of Postexposure HIV Prophylaxis" Reuters Health Information Services (02/13/98) Two San Francisco-based physicians assert in the February 15th issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine that any postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV infection should highlight risk-reduction and behavior modification counseling. Drs. Mitchell H. Katz and Julie Louise note that immediate PEP therapy is optimal, with treatment occurring within 72 hours after possible exposure and a monitoring period of six months. PEP efficacy has not been proven to prevent infection directly after sexual exposure to HIV; yet, according to Katz and Gerberding, it is biologically plausible that the therapy is effective, considering the strength of the treatment when used following transcutaneous occupational exposure. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Dawn Smith recently reported at the Fifth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections that PEP treatment after non-occupational exposure is unlikely to prevent many cases of HIV infection. "Oral Sex Can Transmit HIV" BBC News Online (02/16/98) In the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, Dr. Sarah Edwards reports that HIV can be transmitted through oral sex. Edwards, of the Department of Genito-Urinary Medicine at West Suffolk Hospital, United Kingdom, and colleagues reviewed more than 100 pieces of research and found that oral sex can transmit viral infections, including the virus that causes AIDS. Edwards noted that "the fact that there are risks associated with oral sex is something professionals have been saying for some time. The message is that you need to use protection for oral sex if you want to be certain not to get anything." "South Africa Says 1,500 People Infected With HIV Daily" Reuters (02/14/98) South African Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma announced Friday that approximately 1,500 people in the country are infected with HIV each day. Zuma told a parliamentary briefing that she is concerned about widespread ignorance regarding HIV. Health Ministry spokesman Vincent Hlongwane estimated that some 2 million South Africans are unaware that they carry the virus and noted that Zuma planned to make HIV education her top priority. The United Nations HIV/AIDS program--which estimates that about 2.4 million persons out of South Africa's population of nearly 40 million is infected--said that the virus could reduce the average life expectancy in the country from 62 to 40 years by 2010. "Prostitute Alleged to Be AIDS Threat" Boston Globe (02/16/98) P. A8 Italian health officials have issued a warning about a prostitute who reportedly had sexual intercourse with thousands of individuals while knowing she was infected with HIV. On Sunday, doctors urged all clients of the woman, who is now in a hospital in her hometown of Ravenna, to be tested for the virus. According to media reports, the woman is being investigated on charges that she knew she was HIV-positive for two years without informing clients. "Australian Government to Provide Extra $1 Million for Hepatitis C Research" Australian Associated Press (02/15/98) Australian Health Minister Michael Wooldridge announced Sunday that the government would provide an additional $1 million Australian for hepatitis C virus research. The official estimated that up to 150,000 Australians are infected with the virus; however, the social and behavioral factors affecting the spread of HCV are not clear. Wooldridge noted: "It is estimated that around 6,000 new hepatitis C infections are acquired each year, primarily among injecting drug users, but many people are unaware of how infectious and deadly the disease can be." The newly funded research will be used to help develop public HCV education programs. "And For My Next Trick" POZ (03/98) P. 31; Hess, Scott Dr. Michael Bergeron of the Laval Infectious Disease Research Center in Canada has created a liquid condom that is non-toxic, tasteless, and transparent. The condom, made out of a polymer gel, is spread over the vagina or anus using an applicator. It gelifies in response to body heat and surrounds the penis. According to the inventor: "It's a physical barrier, but it moves--that's the advantage." The polymer gel can be flushed out with water. Bergeron developed the gel due to patient complaints about tight condoms. He also said that the protective measure will enable preventative power in the receiving end. Trials to determine the contraceptive's efficacy in preventing HIV, herpes, and pregnancy will begin this spring with 100 sex workers who say they do not use condoms; one-half will use the "liquid glove" on the job, while the other half will serve as a control group. "HIV/AIDS in Prison Project Threatened: Interview With Judy Greenspan, Director" AIDS Treatment News (02/06/98) No. 288, P. 1; James, John S. In an interview with AIDS Treatment News, Judy Greenspan, head of the HIV/AIDS in Prison Project of Catholic Charities of the East Bay, CA, says that the project is in danger of closing down due to lack of funding. The program, aimed at improving conditions for HIV-positive inmates, helped publicly to expose medical conditions at the California Medical Facility at Vacaville (CMF-Vacaville). The facility is now a model of HIV care for inmates, providing infectious disease specialists, protease inhibitors, an in-prison hospice, and peer education on HIV prevention and care. Greenspan says that more funding is needed to accomplish other goals, which include trying to help the Corcoran high-security prison which houses more than 200 HIV-positive men. The group is also focusing on privacy issues--including claims that HIV test results in prisons are not safeguarded for confidentiality--as well as getting the necessary medication and care to HIV-infected prisoners. **************************************************************** INFORMATION FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES **************************************************************** "New Satellite Broadcast Series on HIV/AIDS-Related Issues" Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (01/27/98) DHHS announces a satellite broadcast series designed to deliver the latest HIV/AIDS prevention and care information to the largest possible audience. Each two-hour program will examine an issue of interest to people affected by HIV/AIDS, such as health care providers, social workers, researchers, educators, caregivers, and people with HIV. Viewers will be able to call a toll-free telephone number during the broadcast to ask the panelists questions or to make comments. The first broadcast will occur on February 27, 1998, from 1-3 PM EST, and will cover the DHHS publication "Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-infected Adults and Adolescents." Panelists will include Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; John G. Bartlett, M.D., Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Eric P. Goosby, M.D., Director, HHS Office of AIDS/HIV Policy. Additional viewing site information may be obtained on the World Wide Web at http://www.tech-res-intl.com/hivaids/. Copies of the guidelines may be obtained from the HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service (ATIS) Web Site at http://www.hivatis.org/upguidaa.html. ***************************************************************** The AIDSNews Mailing List is maintained by the CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. 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