Date: Thu, 25 May 1995 09:14:33 +0500 From: ghmcleaf{CONTRACTOR/ASPEN/ghmcleaf}%NAC-GATEWAY.ASPEN@ace.aspensys.com AIDS Daily Summary May 25, 1995 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 1995, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ************************************************************ "AIDS Researcher's Move to City May Be a Big Draw" "Hospitals Found to Mishandle Blood Donated by Patients for Their Own Use" "Foreign Policy Vote Delayed" "Thai Prison Official Says AIDS at Critical Level" "Judge Refuses to Deny Hearing for AIDS Activist" "Across the USA: D.C./Kansas/Massachusetts" "Tan Not Guilty of Injecting Lover" "Canada Didn't Want to Offend Blood Donors" "FDA Puts the Brakes on Xenotransplants" "Diary: Melissa Etheridge" ************************************************************ "AIDS Researcher's Move to City May Be a Big Draw" Baltimore Sun (05/25/95) P. 1A; Birch, Douglas; Bor, Jonathan Dr. Robert C. Gallo plans to establish his Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland's Medical Biotechnology Center in the hopes of attracting other prominent scientists and biotechnology firms to contribute their discoveries. Gallo says that his institute will research and develop vaccines, gene therapies, and new drugs to combat AIDS--as well as gain a deeper understanding of the biology behind this disease. In addition, his group will continue studies of cancer viruses and neurological diseases with viral origins, adds Gallo. Gallo selected the location over the National Institute of Health because of its modern laboratories and accessibility to AIDS patients seeking care. Related Stories: Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (05/25) P. A4; Wall Street Journal (5/25) P. B11; New York Times (05/25) P. A24; Washington Post (05/25) P. A1; USA Today (05/25) P. 1D; Washington Times (05/25) P. A1. "Hospitals Found to Mishandle Blood Donated by Patients for Their Own Use" Wall Street Journal (05/25/95) P. B11; Zachary, G. Pascal In a new study, the American Association of Blood Banks has found that hospitals are making too many mistakes in transfusing blood donated by patients for their own use. The survey found that 1.2 percent of the association's 2,400 members knew of incidents where autologous blood was given to someone else during a transfusion. In 25 percent of these cases, the blood had never been tested for viral infections, such as HIV and hepatitis B. Another 20 percent of the respondents said they knew of instances where a patient was erroneously given conventional blood before transfusing a unit of their own, which defeats the purpose of autologous donations. In announcing the study results, the association urged that blood-handling procedures be reviewed, but said it saw no reason to change its opposition to mandatory testing of all autologous blood for viral infections. In an interview, the group's chief executive officer said that errors in handling autologous blood posed only a "remote" threat to patients. "Foreign Policy Vote Delayed" Washington Post (05/25/95) P. A1; Cooper, Kenneth J. On Wednesday, House Republican leaders postponed a vote on foreign policy. Democrats and administration officials claimed success, arguing the delay showed the GOP majority does not have enough votes to pass the bill that would reduce foreign aid and reorganize the State Department. Republicans, however, said they just needed more time to consider amendments. The House National Security Committee rejected attempts to remove from a defense bill a ban on military hospitals abroad performing elective abortions on service women and a potential new policy that would honorably discharge HIV-infected personnel. "Thai Prison Official Says AIDS at Critical Level" Reuters (05/25/95) With as many as five prisoners a week dying from AIDS, the incidence of the disease in Thailand's main prison has reached a critical stage, a senior prison official said on Thursday. Dr. Chon Lervithworaphong said that about 400 of the 5,434 inmates at Klong Prem prison were infected with HIV. The doctor, however, cautioned that the actual figure may be much higher because there has not been screening in the prison because testing can only be done voluntarily. He said that most of the prisoners were infected before they were sent to jail. The prison has built a separate 500-bed ward for inmates sick with HIV-related complications. Approximately 200 of those bed are currently occupied. In Thailand, an estimated 700,000 of the country's 59 million people are infected with HIV, public officials say. "Judge Refuses to Deny Hearing for AIDS Activist" Philadelphia Inquirer (05/25/95) P. B2 Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony J. DeFino has rejected a motion to deny a preliminary hearing to Francis J. Stoffa Jr., the former director of the Philadelphia AIDS Task Force. In his ruling, the judge wrote that the Philadelphia district attorney's office failed to demonstrate the unusual circumstances required for denial of a preliminary hearing. DeFino said that "it is quite possible some of the charges against Stoffa could be thrown out after the preliminary hearing." Stoffa has been charged with stealing more than $200,000 from the organization he once led. He has denied the charges. "Across the USA: D.C./Kansas/Massachusetts" USA Today (05/25/95) P. 10A A new study in the District of Columbia shows that almost one in 20 teenagers in the nation's capital is infected with HIV. Meanwhile, Kan. Gov. Graves signed a revised law barring picketing at funerals. The measure is aimed at Rev. Fred Phelps, who frequently pickets the funerals of homosexuals and people who have died of AIDS. In addition, the Massachusetts Senate approved an expansion of the state's needle exchange program to 10 more communities. Boston and Cambridge already have the program, which is trying to stem the spread of AIDS. "Tan Not Guilty of Injecting Lover" Toronto Globe and Mail (05/24/95) P. A4; Mitchell, Alanna Model Marilyn Tan, who was charged with injecting her long-time lover with HIV-infected blood during sadomasochistic sex, was acquitted of the most serious charges against her on Tuesday. Tan was acquitted of aggravated assault, conspiring to administer a noxious substance, and administering a noxious substance. She was, however, found guilty of uttering a threat against another woman, and sentenced to three months in prison and a five-year revocation of the right to own firearms. Mr. Justice Keith Ritter said the Crown had failed to prove that Tan's lover, Conrad Boland, had become infected with HIV as the result of an injection from Tan, or even that she had injected him with any substance. The judge also said he believed that both Boland and the Crown's star witness, Rachel Deitch, lied on the witness stand. Judge Ritter said that Boland could have acquired HIV as the result of his lifestyle, which included retaining the services of prostitutes and intravenous drug use. "Canada Didn't Want to Offend Blood Donors" Toronto Globe and Mail (05/24/95) P. A2 Canada was slow to prohibit high-risk groups from giving blood because it was afraid of "offending" blood donors, Dr. Roger Perrault, a former Canadian Red Cross (CRC) official, said at an inquiry on Tuesday. However, the Canadian Hemophilia Society and lawyers for those who became infected with HIV through tainted transfusions called that reason "stupid logic." Refusing to question donors sooner to determine whether they were at risk for AIDS cost people lives, said Douglas Elliott, a lawyer for the Canadian AIDS Society. Perrault said that high risk donors were not singled out in 1983, but said he thought that the blood workers were smart enough to throw out suspect blood. His assistant, Dr. Martin Davey, said that the CRC did not want donors running away after being questioned about their sex lives. The inquiry is trying to determine why thousand of Canadians were infected with HIV and hepatitis C during the 1980s. "FDA Puts the Brakes on Xenotransplants" Science (05/05/95) Vol. 268, No. 5211, P. 630; Nowak, Rachel On April 27, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) delayed plans for a clinical trial to determine whether transplants of baboon bone marrow can repair the ravaged immune system of AIDS patients. The FDA decided to act when it learned that AIDS doctors Steven Deeks and Paul Volberding of the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and transplant surgeon and immunologist Suzanne Ildstad of the University of Pittsburgh had received approval from UCSF's Institutional Review Board to transplant baboon bone marrow into AIDS patients. The agency asked the doctors to attend the April 27 meeting, where it became clear that the FDA was requesting that the team formally apply for an Investigation New Drug (IND) approval, said Deeks. The FDA is concerned that the baboon cells may carry viruses that are harmless to their natural baboon host, but which pose a potential threat to the human population. "Diary: Melissa Etheridge" Adweek (05/15/95) Vol. 36, No. 20, P. 58 Singer Melissa Etheridge and her song "All American Girl"--from her triple platinum "Yes I Am" album--are featured in a new public service campaign from the Advertising Council/National Institute on Drug Abuse. The theme of the campaign is "Get high. Get stupid. Get AIDS." "In a New Light: Sex Unplugged" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (5/23/95) Thursday night, June 1st from 8-9 pm ET, ABC-TV is presenting the fourth annual "IN A NEW LIGHT," a public information outreach special. This year's show is subtitled, "SEX UNPLUGGED" and will deal with the pressure that young people feel to become sexually active. The show focuses on teenagers who have chosen abstinence, decided to postpone sex, or are sexually active and are protecting themselves. Special events are being planned in communities across the country in coordination with the airing of the primetime telecast. Contact the CDC National AIDS Hotline (800) 342-2437) for additional information, receive an information packet and to register your viewing event. You may also call the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse at (800) 458-5231 to have the packet faxed to you on NAC FAX.