Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary for Date: Thu Jun 29 07:01:01 PDT 2000 (168 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 2000, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update Thursday, June 29, 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 GENERAL MEDIA "Pilot Projects in Nashville, Two Other Cities to Stamp Out Syphilis" "Japan, U.S. Sign Health Cooperation Accord for Cambodia" "Scientific Community Assails Myths in Fight Against AIDS" "Americans Support US Help to Fight AIDS in Africa" "[Massachusetts] DPH Calls for End to TB Tests in Schools" "Officials Say the AIDS Epidemic Must Be Addressed in South Africa" "Scientists Discuss Health Issues in South Africa" "Hepatitis C Initiative Launched [in Australia]" "Hybrid Vigour" **************************************************************** GENERAL MEDIA **************************************************************** "Pilot Projects in Nashville, Two Other Cities to Stamp Out Syphilis" Knoxville News-Sentinel Online (www.knoxnews.com) (06/29/00) A pilot project to eradicate syphilis is being launched in Nashville, Indianapolis, and Raleigh, North Carolina. The $15 million project, announced Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will emphasize establishing community coalitions, testing and treating infected prisoners, and launching public education efforts. The money will also be used to extend health clinic hours and increase staffing. Over 50 percent of the nation's syphilis cases in 1998 were in southern states, and the rate in 1997 for African Americans was 34 times higher than for whites. CDC Director Jeffrey Koplan noted that eradicating syphilis would be significant because "it would directly improve the health of many Americans and decrease one of our most glaring racial disparities in health." "Japan, U.S. Sign Health Cooperation Accord for Cambodia" Kyodo News Service (home.kyodo.co.jp) (06/29/00) Japan and the United States have signed a plan to help improve Cambodia's health, especially in the areas of AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria. A statement from a joint Japan-U.S. team noted, "Sadly, people with AIDS are also at great risk of developing tuberculosis, which already claims 10,000 lives a year in Cambodia. Malaria continues to be a serious threat to the health of Cambodians, especially women, children, and workers in forested regions." Kinichi Komano, director of research at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, explained Cambodia was chosen as the third country for the project, along with Zambia and Bangladesh, because of the hold the three diseases have on the country. "Scientific Community Assails Myths in Fight Against AIDS" Reuters Health Information Services (www.reutershealth.com) (06/28/00) The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, which is on South Africa's Presidential AIDS Advisory Panel, is joining the Organizing Committee for the Joint Statement by the International Scientific Community in declaring that HIV causes AIDS. The authors of the Declaration note there is solid scientific evidence that the sole cause of AIDS is HIV. The statement, called the "Durban Declaration," is slated for release just before the 13th International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa in July. "Americans Support US Help to Fight AIDS in Africa" Reuters Health Information Services (www.reutershealth.com) (06/28/00) A survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation of 1,200 adult Americans indicates that 70 percent of those surveyed were aware that most HIV and AIDS patients are in Africa, and must said they support using federal funds to fight the disease there. Seventy-six percent of those surveyed said they support using American funding for HIV prevention and education, while 72 percent said the funds should also be directed towards treatment and care. Many of the respondents called on the United Nations and African nations to do more to fight HIV, with over 50 percent saying the United Nations should play a larger role against AIDS in Africa, and about 75 percent saying the African nations themselves should increase their efforts. Just over 80 percent of the respondents also said drug companies should lower their prices for poorer countries. "[Massachusetts] DPH Calls for End to TB Tests in Schools" Boston Herald (www.bostonherald.com) (06/28/00) P. 3; Lasalandra, Michael Massachusetts public health officials are calling for an end to routine testing of schoolchildren for tuberculosis (TB). The Department of Public Health is now urging that only high-risk people, such as immigrants from areas where TB is prevalent, be screened. The new plan aims to reduce the number of false positives associated with the PPD skin test. According to a new report from the Massachusetts Department of Health (DPH), active cases of TB in the state fell 5 percent last year. Sixty-nine percent of the 270 cases reported were among foreign-born people, primarily from Asia. The DPH's Dr. Edward Nardel noted, however, that an estimated 300,000 to 600,000 state residents have latent TB infection. "Officials Say the AIDS Epidemic Must Be Addressed in South Africa" MSNBC Online (www.msnbc.com) (06/28/00) Experts said Tuesday that fighting AIDS in South Africa, which has the highest number of people living with HIV in the world, requires overcoming the stigma and silence surrounding the disease. A new United Nations report found that 4.2 million South Africans, or about 10 percent of the population, are infected with HIV. Dr. Eljadj Sy, leader of the UNAIDS team for eastern and southern Africa, noted that too many South Africans are not tested for HIV, due to fear and lack of access. Often, South Africans who reveal they have HIV are shunned, fired from their jobs, and sometimes attacked. Speaking at a news conference in advance of the upcoming AIDS conference in Durban, Dr. Sy called on more HIV-infected people to join the fight against AIDS. He noted, "This is the way to combat stigma. This is a way to combat exclusion. This is also a way to put a face on this number," meaning the 24.5 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who are infected with HIV. "Scientists Discuss Health Issues in South Africa" PANA Wire Service (www.africanews.org/PANA) (06/28/00) Scientists meeting near Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of the International Network of field sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health (INDEPTH), are discussing this week malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, measles, and family planning. INDEPTH involves 25 key research sites throughout Asia and Africa. The field sites, set up in rural towns, collect and store health statistics on communities. Prof. Steve Tollman of the University of Witwatersrand explained, "There is an overwhelming absence of information on health issues, and without this information, we are seriously in the dark regarding health priorities, the impact of interventions, or judging how serious the spread of a disease and its impact is." "Hepatitis C Initiative Launched [in Australia]" Australian Broadcasting Corp. News (abc.com.au) (06/29/00) Australia is launching today a five-year plan to fight hepatitis C. Nearly 200,000 Australians have the virus, for which there is no vaccine. The strategy will focus on prevention and ending discrimination for those already infected. "Hybrid Vigour" New Scientist (www.newscientist.com) (05/27/00) Vol. 166, No. 2240, P. 12; Cohen, Phil Combining a viral protein and bacterial DNA could be the answer to treating AIDS and preventing HIV, according to Anthony Horner and Eyal Raz of the University of California, San Diego. The dual molecule has been successful at creating immunity in mice. Horner and Raz believe that by tricking the immune system to create cytotoxic T cells, the body may be able to attack HIV and fight secondary infections.