>From: "ANNE WILSON, CDC NAC" >Date: Mon, 20 Jun 1994 09:28:35 -0400 (EDT) AIDS Daily Summary June 20, 1994 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ************************************************************ "Study Casts Doubt on Dentist-AIDS Link" "Filipinos Ignore Condom Despite AIDS, Study Says" "Tests Postponed for 2 AIDS Vaccines" "San Francisco Bisexual Men are Unlikely to Transmit HIV Infection to Women, UCSF Study Shows" "Ministers Agree at AIDS Summit" "U.S. Blood Supply Not as Safe as Believed--Report" "AIDS 'Outtakes' Stay Secret" "NAPWA Calls for Major Leadership Changes" "What You Can Do" ************************************************************ "Study Casts Doubt on Dentist-AIDS Link" USA Today (06/20/94) P. 8A A new scientific study challenges the claims of Kimberly Bergalis and five others who claim they contracted HIV from their dentist, Dr. David Acer. The new study says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vastly overstated DNA test results. Similar strains of the virus were identified in the community, raising the possibility that someone other than Acer infected the patients. The CDC stands by its conclusion that the Stuart, Fla., dentist did, in fact, infect his patients. Related Story: Philadelphia Inquirer (06/18) P. A2; Boston Globe (06/18) P. 1 "Filipinos Ignore Condom Despite AIDS, Study Says" Reuters (06/20/94) The Philippines may be on the brink of an AIDS disaster, health officials warned after a survey revealed that those at high risk for infection were not using condoms. Forty-eight percent of female prostitutes, 55 percent of male prostitutes with a male clientele, and 68 percent of male sex workers with a female clientele reported that their customers never used condoms. In addition, 93 percent of the male intravenous drug users polled also admitted to having never used condoms. The Philippines has officially documented only 510 HIV cases as of April, but the actual number of infections reaches into the tens of thousands. "Tests Postponed for 2 AIDS Vaccines" Philadelphia Inquirer (06/18/94) P. A2; Collins, Huntly The federal AIDS Research Advisory Committee, which advises the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) on AIDS, decided that there is not yet sufficient evidence to justify large-scale testing of two proposed AIDS vaccines. The two vaccines are in the midst of a smaller experiment, and were to be tested on several thousand uninfected people next year. But, according to government officials, four volunteers involved in the small, ongoing trials of the vaccines have contracted HIV. This occurrence, which proves that the vaccines are not 100 percent effective, and other scientific uncertainties persuaded the committee to delay large-scale trials for two or three years. The vaccines, made from a genetically engineered protein from HIV's outer coat, have been shown to be safe and capable of stimulating certain kinds of antibodies to HIV. While preliminary studies indicate that the vaccines may protect chimpanzees against HIV, it is a poor indicator for what will happen with humans, since infected chimps do not progress to AIDS. "San Francisco Bisexual Men are Unlikely to Transmit HIV Infection to Women, UCSF Study Shows" Business Wire (06/19/94) A study on the prevalence and patterns of sexual behavior among bisexual men concludes that San Francisco men identifying themselves as bisexual are not likely to transmit HIV to female partners. The research refutes the familiar myth that bisexual men provide the bridge that carries AIDS into the heterosexual community, according to lead author Dr. Maria Ekstrand. The study involved 140 single men whose HIV status was known, thus allowing the University of California researchers to assess how HIV-positive and HIV-negative men modified their behavior over time. The findings indicate that study subjects significantly cut back on sexual risk-taking behaviors, particularly during male-male sex, during the five-year term of the study. Although unprotected vaginal intercourse remains common among men who have sex with women, this behavior is practiced almost exclusively by HIV-negative men. "Ministers Agree at AIDS Summit" Reuters (06/18/94) Health ministers and officials from more than 40 nations agreed to participate in France's proposed AIDS summit of heads of state and government. Wealthy nations attending a two-day conference this weekend vowed to share the financial burden of controlling the spread of the disease in poor countries. This commitment was not clear, however, nor did it provide an estimate of how much should be spent. Although the Third World has been hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic, its health budget is eclipsed by that of the industrialized world. According to French Health Minister Simone Veil, working groups will try to come up with an estimate for what funds should be committed. "U.S. Blood Supply Not as Safe as Believed--Report" Reuters (06/18/94) Although it is greatly improved, the American blood supply remains severely flawed, according to U.S. News & World Report. The magazine said its five-month investigation into the matter found that AIDS is still a threat, because hundreds of HIV-contaminated units of blood escape tests and checkpoints each year. "AIDS 'Outtakes' Stay Secret" National Law Journal (06/06/94) Vol. 16, No. 40, P. A8 Philadelphia law firm Kohn, Nast & Graf P.C., the defendant in an AIDS discrimination lawsuit, will not be granted permission to view the "outtakes" of videotaped interviews of its accuser conducted by NBC, ABC, and CBS. U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle 3d said he read the deposition of "John Doe," an attorney who claims he was fired from the law firm after partners discovered his HIV infection. He found no discrepancies in the unabridged videotapes belonging to the three networks, and concluded that the tapes were not likely to influence the outcome of the case. "NAPWA Calls for Major Leadership Changes" AIDS Alert (06/94) Vol. 9, No. 6, P. 91 One year after Kristine Gebbie was named White House AIDS policy coordinator, the National Association for People With AIDS has called for her resignation. NAPWA is pushing for an AIDS policy strategy characterized by visionary leadership that will develop a set of priorities focusing on promising therapies, a national prevention campaign, and greater funding for support services. "A concrete strategy to address the multiple challenges of the HIV epidemic has not been forthcoming," according to NAPWA executive director William Freeman. "What You Can Do" Money (05/94) Vol. 23, No. 5, P. 139; Rock, Andrea Joleen Swain Ottosen of Woodland Park, Colo., who lost both parents to transfusion-related AIDS, has written a book in hopes of preventing similar tragedies. "The Blood Conspiracy" chronicles her family's story, but also acts as a consumer's guide for minimizing the risk of infection through blood transfusion. All of Ottosen's tips for doing so are based on a sole principle: do everything possible to receive an autologous transfusion--a procedure that uses one's own blood instead of someone else's. Autologous transfusions not only eliminate the risk of disease through transmission, but also avoid allergic reactions and other complications. Also, there is no guarantee that blood donated by friends and family is any safer than blood donated by strangers. The author recommends several methods for autologous transfusions, the first of which is to donate one's own blood before elective surgery. Red blood cells can be stored for up to 42 days, or a decade if they are frozen. Another option is to recycle blood during surgery or in the emergency room. About half of American hospitals have some kind of equipment to conduct this service. A third process is called apheresis, a procedure in which a machine draws platelet-rich plasma from the patient's blood before surgery so that it can be saved for reinfusion later. Finally, Ottosen suggests donating one's own blood for one's infant, since babies cannot make their own autologous donations.