Date: Fri, 30 Sep 1994 09:10:14 -0400 (EDT) From: "JOHN FANNING, CDC NAC" Subject: CDC AIDS DAILY SUMMARY 09/30/94. AIDS Daily Summary September 30, 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 ************************************************************ "A Painful French Scandal Is Mined with Official's Trial" "Across the USA: Pennsylvania" "$1 Million Grant Will Aid Homeless Youths With the AIDS Virus" "American AIDS Group Takes Battle to Asia" "AZT, Perinatal Transmission: Unanswered Questions" "Surviving the Second Wave" "Setting Standards" "Medical Briefs: Mucosal Candidiasis Therapy" "Nothing Happened" "A Community in Denial" ************************************************************ "A Painful French Scandal Is Mined with Official's Trial" Philadelphia Inquirer (09/30/94) P. A1; Polman, Dick Laurent Fabius, a former French premier, will face criminal charges today in connection with the distribution of HIV-tainted blood. Two other ministers, Georgina Dufoix and Edmond Herve, have already been charged with conspiracy to poison. Fabius is expected to deny any knowledge that, in 1985, hemophiliacs received HIV-tainted Factor 8, a blood clotting agent. In 1984, the risks of tainted blood had been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During a May 1985 meeting, French health officials reported that their stocks of donated blood contained HIV and declared that, due to a better treatment process, American blood was cleaner. The contaminated blood, however, was kept in circulation because destroying it would have "economic consequences." Fabius admits that he did not act until the end of June and that the tainted blood products were not removed until early autumn. The court will determine whether Fabius is criminally negligent or not. "Across the USA: Pennsylvania" USA Today (09/30/94) P. 5A Pennsylvania Governor Casey signed a bill requiring sex offenders convicted of crimes involving intercourse to be tested for HIV. The victim will be informed of the results. "$1 Million Grant Will Aid Homeless Youths With the AIDS Virus" Houston Chronicle (09/29/94) P. 26A; Lum, Lydia The Houston Institute for the Protection of Youth received a $1 million federal grant that will help HIV-positive young people get off the streets and lead independent lives. Officials hope that the project, which will begin in January and continue for three years, will help slow the spread of the virus that causes AIDS. Although numerous programs assist homeless people, this is one of the few that target homeless teens with HIV, who are often gay. In the United States, more than 25 percent of gay and lesbian youths leave home because of family problems due to their sexuality. Teens also make up approximately 20 percent of HIV-infected Americans. HIPY will provide stipends for rent and bills until the youths have steady jobs, and will teach them basic living skills--such as household chores and how to balance a checkbook. The grant will enable HIPY to help about 60 homeless people, ages 16-23, for about 18 months each. "American AIDS Group Takes Battle to Asia" Reuters (09/28/94) The American Foundation for AIDS Research, the largest AIDS foundation in the United States, is taking its campaign against the disease to Asia. AmFAR's policy is to target places where it can make the greatest difference--which means that the foundation will have to concentrate on places where AIDS has not become a significant problem, but is likely to become one. The group has found it most effective to work through existing non-government organizations and can piggy-back on literacy programs or programs that help street children and, at the same time, use them to promote AIDS education. AmFAR--due to limited funds--has decided to exclude countries where the AIDS epidemic has advanced too far for them to make an impact, such as India or Zaire. The organization plans to take its fund-raising campaign to places such as Hong Kong or Thailand. "AZT, Perinatal Transmission: Unanswered Questions" AIDS Treatment News (09/16/94) No. 207, P. 7; Trewartha, Rae Many questions stem from the finding that use of AZT by pregnant women can reduce HIV transmission from mother to infants by two-thirds. The study focused on a specific group of HIV-infected pregnant women, but leaves other women uncertain how they are affected by the results. Other unanswered questions include whether the full study AZT regimen is necessary; whether there are long-term side effects to the baby; whether the mother's viral load is a factor in the perinatal transmission rate; and whether AZT will work as well in future pregnancies. The U.S. Public Health Service, which published recommendations for the administration of AZT to pregnant women and their babies, acknowledges that the study results "are directly applicable only to women with characteristics similar to those of the women who entered the study, and the long-term risks of [AZT] used in this manner are not known." The author stresses that in order to have healthy babies, high-quality prenatal care is essential. "Surviving the Second Wave" Newsweek (09/19/94) Vol. 124, No. 12, P. 50; Rogers, Patrick A second wave of the AIDS epidemic is sweeping the gay community after years of effectively controlling the disease. Studies show an increase in unprotected anal intercourse and in the annual rate of HIV infection among gay men under 30. AIDS educators are promoting monogamy and self-esteem, and are trying to head off the despair that they believe leads to high-risk behavior. There is a fatalistic philosophy among some in the gay community that because there have been so many AIDS-related deaths, they too, give up hope for survival and engage in unprotected, dangerous sex. Benjamin Schatz, executive director of the gay Association of American Physicians for Human Rights, says that more gays will have to challenge the new AIDS crisis in order to protect their lives. "Setting Standards" Maclean's (09/19/94) Vol. 107, No. 38, P. 26; Nichols, Mark A report filed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July--which resulted in the ban of Canadian source plasma from entering the United States--highlighted the differences between the Canadian and American blood systems. One distinction is that, in the U.S. blood system, potential donors are verbally and frankly questioned about potential high-risk activities, while the Canadian system has only a written questionnaire. Another difference is that U.S. blood samples are tested for a variety of infectious diseases and those that test HIV-positive receive a confirmation test and are quarantined in the meantime. In Canada, samples are also tested for infectious diseases, but the blood is not quarantined until after the second test results return--a process that can take up to two weeks. Additional differences that led to the FDA ban include Canada's procedures for tracing HIV-infected donors, for hepatitis B screening, and in computer record keeping which, in Canada, does not detect cases where records exist for the same donor. "Medical Briefs: Mucosal Candidiasis Therapy" Advocate (09/20/94) No. 664, P. 25; Cohan, Gary R. Research has shown a significant failure rate for fluconazole therapy in treating mucosal candidiasis, which is often found in people who are HIV-positive. Approximately 6 percent of 155 participants had persistent candida, and eight of those nine had a CD4-cell counts of less than 50. Only patients with extreme symptoms found effective treatment with intravenous amphotericin B. "Nothing Happened" Advocate (09/20/94) No. 664, P. 22; Gallagher, John The 10th International Conference on AIDS was a subdued meeting, compared to previous high-profile ones, because of reduced attendance and expectations. Many people felt that Japan, while chosen to highlight the spread of HIV in Asia, was too far away and too expensive for many participants to attend. Most of the research presented at the conference, including the efficacy of protease inhibitors, has moderate AIDS treatment potential and was not new information because the knowledge is distributed through many other networks. "A Community in Denial" Focus (09/94) Vol. 8, No. 9, P. 5; Chun, Rocky Denial is the reason that the Asian/Pacific Islander community appears immune to the AIDS epidemic, says Rocky Chun, who helped found the Gay Asian/Pacific Islander Alliance Community HIV Project and the Asian/Pacific Islander AIDS Coalition in San Francisco. HIV is not discussed in the community because it is associated with drugs and sex--two great evils--says Chun. In Chinese communities, taboo subjects such as sex and death also hide HIV because they are too painful and too obscene to discuss. Preservation of "family face" is all-important and Asian family ties are strong enough to prevent HIV-infected members and even friends from asking for help, Chun says. Denial of HIV is supported by Asian medical practitioners who--concerned with the family honor--might diagnose HIV as a "terminal condition," which sustains the denial. Some API people use alternative healers, who are not licensed as medical doctors and are not required to report any instances of HIV; therefore, many AIDS cases among API communities are unknown and unreported. Chun suggests continuing education and discussion in API communities to help overcome their denial because they will not be able to ignore the AIDS epidemic if they are surrounded with information.