Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary for Date: Wed Jun 28 07:01:01 PDT 2000 (212 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 2000, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update Wednesday, June 28, 2000 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. HEADLINES PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS "Knowledge About HIV/AIDS, the Perceived Risks of Infection and Sources of Information of Asian-Indian Adolescents Born in the USA" GENERAL MEDIA "U.N. Warns of African AIDS Toll" "US Urges Strong Anti-AIDS Efforts After UN Report" "Diseases Said Biggest World Disaster" "NIH Funds Public-Private Collaborations for HIV Vaccine Research" "Older Patients With HIV Depressed, Suicidal" "Dentist's Invention Protects Health Care Workers from Needle Injuries" "Record 530 HIV Infections Reported in Japan in 1999" "Japan Gives $3.6 Million to Fight AIDS in Vietnam" *************************************************************** PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS *************************************************************** "Knowledge About HIV/AIDS, the Perceived Risks of Infection and Sources of Information of Asian-Indian Adolescents Born in the USA" AIDS Care (www.catchword.co.uk) (04/00) Vol. 12, No. 2, P. 203; Bhattacharya, G.; Cleland, C.; Holland, S. A recent study investigated HIV prevention efforts for Asian-Indian adolescents who were born in the United States and whose parents emigrated from India. Researchers from the National Development and Research Institutes in New York interviewed 167 Asian-Indian teens in the Long Island area. The subjects were questioned about modes of HIV transmission, and they were asked to group the sources of their knowledge into four categories: media, personal contacts, community sources, or community agencies. A total of 165 responded to the 49-question survey. While most of the participants knew that having unsafe sex with an HIV-infected individual could transmit HIV, only about three-quarters knew that cutting fingers and mixing blood could transmit the virus and nearly half were not aware that "sharing a razor with someone who is HIV-positive" is also risky. More than 25 percent and 14 percent of the adolescents believed that donating blood and taking blood tests, respectively, could transmit HIV. The researchers also note that while television was the most used source of HIV-related information, the most useful source was school classes on HIV and AIDS. According to the authors, "While most of the adolescents in this sample were aware that high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex, could transmit HIV, a large number were also ignorant of other transmission modes and held misconceptions that may produce anxiety and bias." Future HIV prevention programs must address these gaps in knowledge, clarify any misconceptions, and reinforce school and television programs to better reach these young people. **************************************************************** GENERAL MEDIA **************************************************************** "U.N. Warns of African AIDS Toll" Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) (06/28/00) P. A1; Brown, David A new United Nations report warns that AIDS will kill up to half of the young adults in some countries in southern Africa before they reach middle age. AIDS has led to poor economic growth and a decrease in life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa, and the effects will worsen in the coming years, according to Dr. Peter Piot, director of UNAIDS. Last year, 2.8 million people died from AIDS, and the report estimated there are now 34.3 million people infected with HIV worldwide, including 1.3 million children under the age of 15. The report showed mixed results on the state of the global AIDS epidemic, citing both the devastation in southern Africa but also progress in Senegal and Uganda in fighting HIV and the increasing trend of condom use among sexually active teenagers in some areas. South Africa, the site of 13th International AIDS Conference next month, has about 4.2 million people living with HIV--more than any other country. The highest prevalence of infection is in Botswana, where 36 percent of adults have contracted HIV. Experts predict that AIDS will take the lives of two-thirds of Botswanan 15-year-olds before age 50, and they also forecast that in any nation where 15 percent of adults are now infected with HIV, at least 35 percent of teenagers will eventually die from the disease. Some encouraging news is that the number of pregnant teenagers with HIV has decreased significantly in Lusaka, Zambia, and more young Brazilian men are using condoms. In addition, the prevalence of HIV in Uganda has dropped from 14 percent to 8 percent. Dr. Piot noted that UNAIDS estimated that $1.6 billion to $2.6 billion is needed to provide Africa with a "package" that would involve limited use of with antiviral drugs to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, and treatment of tuberculosis and other infections. "US Urges Strong Anti-AIDS Efforts After UN Report" Reuters (www.reuters.com) (06/27/00) The new United Nations report on AIDS has led Sandra Thurman, head of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, to call for broader efforts to prevent HIV, especially in Africa. The success of Uganda in reducing its infection rate could be used in other nations, Thurman said. According to Thurman, leadership can help end the stigma of AIDS and help disseminate HIV prevention information, but cooperation from all sectors is needed. "Diseases Said Biggest World Disaster" Minneapolis Star Tribune Online (www2.startribune.com) (06/28/00); Leeman, Sue A new report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies indicates there were 13 million deaths from preventable diseases in 1999. Increased public health services could stop the number of deaths, as 160 times more people died from AIDS, malaria, respiratory diseases, and diarrhea last year than from natural disasters like earthquakes and cyclones. The report noted the catastrophic effects of AIDS, which is now taking the lives of 300 people an hour worldwide. According to the report, health funding for developing nations from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development fell to its lowest level in seven years, and public spending on health in poor nations averages only about 1 percent of gross domestic product. Less spending on health worldwide has led to the resurgence of once-controlled diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. The report called for behavioral changes and increased vaccinations against preventable diseases. "NIH Funds Public-Private Collaborations for HIV Vaccine Research" Reuters Health Information Services (www.reutershealth.com) (06/27/00) Four grants worth over $70 million have been awarded to speed the development of an AIDS vaccine. Established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the new HIV Vaccine Design and Development Team follows President Clinton's call for greater public-private vaccine cooperation. The grants will go to Advanced Bioscience Laboratories, Chiron Corp., the University of New South Wales, Australia, and Wyeth Lederle Vaccines and Nutrition. "Older Patients With HIV Depressed, Suicidal" Reuters Health Information Services (www.reutershealth.com) (06/27/00) Dr. Timothy Heckman of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and colleagues have found that many older people with HIV or AIDS have thoughts of suicide. Heckman, who reported the study's findings in the June issue of Psychiatric Services (2000;51), noted that HIV-infected people in their 40s to 60s are often isolated and can become depressed, especially as they are more likely than younger patients to also have conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. The researchers' survey of 113 men and women with HIV who were between the ages of 47 and 69 showed that 26 percent had thoughts of suicide in the last week, most frequently among males with symptoms of HIV or AIDS. Heckman also noted that those considering suicide had less social support and may have met with rejection due to their infection. "Dentist's Invention Protects Health Care Workers from Needle Injuries" Houston Chronicle (www.chron.com) (06/27/00) P. A22; Pedersen, Kelly Houston dentist Dr. Kevin Sorrels has created a device named Percuguard that protects health workers from accidental needle sticks. The device is a plastic sleeve that fits over the finger of the hand not holding the syringe. The device, which Sorrels claims is eight to 20 times more puncture-resistant than a glove made out latex, is intended to reduce the risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis through percutaneous injuries. The product is expected to be available to healthcare providers late next month. "Record 530 HIV Infections Reported in Japan in 1999" Kyodo News Service (home.kyodo.co.jp) (06/28/00) New statistics from Japan's Health and Welfare Ministry indicate that the country saw a record 530 reported HIV cases last year and the number of newly detected AIDS cases reached 300. Nearly three-quarters of the infections last year were among Japanese men, but the report also noted that the number of women in the country who were infected with HIV rose by nine to 45. The report said that the majority of the infections were the result of sexual contact. "Japan Gives $3.6 Million to Fight AIDS in Vietnam" Agence France Presse (www.afp.com) (06/27/00) Japan has increased Vietnam's budget for HIV prevention with a grant of up to $3.6 million for screening and education programs in Ho Chi Minh City and nine nearby provinces. Ho Chi Minh City has hundreds of bars and brothels, and officials note the added risk of infected prostitutes who return to the city after working in Cambodia. According to health ministry statistics, more than 20,000 people have tested positive for HIV in Vietnam and over 1,800 have died from AIDS; however, they warn that the actual number of infections could be much higher, since testing is primarily done on convicted drug users, prostitutes, military recruits, and pregnant women.