Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1996 09:57:29 -0400 From: "Flynn Mclean" Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary 09/18/96 AIDS Daily Summary September 18, 1996 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 National AIDS Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC National AIDS Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1996, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ****************************************************** "More Germs Elude Drugs" "Three TV Stations to Run Condom Ads" "Researcher Cites Genetic Factor in HIV Resistance" "Denver Extends Health Coverage to Partners of Gay City Employees" "Brudnoy, Feeling Healthier, Launches AIDS Research Drive" "New Needs of Society Bring Back a Medical Dinosaur: House Calls" "AIDS Cases Seen Decreasing in France" "6,800 Sri Lankans Suspected to be AIDS Carriers" "Flirting With Suicide" "No End of Plagues" ****************************************************** "More Germs Elude Drugs" USA Today (09/18/96) P. 1D; Manning, Anita The rise of drug-resistant microbes is making common infections more difficult to treat, scientists said at a recent meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. For example, the increasing use of antifungal drugs, especially for patients with AIDS or those receiving chemotherapy, has led to resistance. Development of new drugs to treat fungal infections is underway, but will take a long time. "Three TV Stations to Run Condom Ads" Washington Times (09/18/96) P. A11 Three NBC affiliate television stations, in Houston, Seattle, and Chico, Calif., will run paid advertising for condoms, marking the first time that such commercials have been accepted by a major network station. The 60-second ad has been run by MTV and Comedy Central for a year, but was rejected by the major networks and about 40 TV stations. "Researcher Cites Genetic Factor in HIV Resistance" Boston Globe (09/17/96) P. A5 Genetic protection from HIV infection is more common in Caucasians than in people of African descent, a researcher reported at the annual meeting of the Institute of Human Virology last week. Steven O'Brien of the National Cancer Institute studied more than 1,900 American men and women who have been exposed to HIV repeatedly and have either not become infected or have been HIV-positive for a long time. The gene, CKR-5, slows progression of HIV infection and allows individuals to live an average of two years longer than infected individuals without the gene. People who inherit the gene from both parents have absolute protection from HIV, while the protection is partial in people who inherit the gene from one parent. No individuals of African descent have been identified as having any genetic protection. "Denver Extends Health Coverage to Partners of Gay City Employees" New York Times (09/18/97) P. A17; Brooke, James Gay partners of workers employed by the city of Denver will receive health insurance coverage under an ordinance to be signed today. The decision is part of a trend in companies and local governments to offer health benefits to gay partners of employees. Lantz Trantham, a businessman who opposed the ordinance, called it "financially irresponsible, not just with AIDS, but with the multitude of sexually transmitted diseases." An atmosphere of tolerance exists in the city, where a record 10,000 people participated in the annual AIDS walk last week. The event raised $1.2 million for state AIDS services. "Brudnoy, Feeling Healthier, Launches AIDS Research Drive" Boston Globe (09/17/96) P. B8; Knox, Richard A. Boston radio talk show host David Brudnoy, who nearly died of AIDS two years ago, is feeling healthier lately due to a new combination of drugs. He launched a campaign for AIDS research Tuesday, aiming to raise $10 million for research at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's hospitals. The funds would boost the AIDS clinical research budget at the hospitals by about 40 percent. Brudnoy explains that he created the AIDS research fund to help "carry us from where we are now--optimism, but guarded--to optimism with confidence." "New Needs of Society Bring Back a Medical Dinosaur: House Calls" New York Times (09/18/96) P. C11; Gilbert, Susan The demand for doctors to make house calls is rising, due to a growing number of people--including the elderly, AIDS patients, and those disabled by violence--who want to stay home for care. At an American Medical Association symposium last week, it was reported that the number of house calls charged to Medicare rose from 37 million in 1988 to 218 million in 1994. However, only about three million of the visits each year are made by physicians; nurses, social workers, and home health aides make the rest. Currently, new tools--including a video telephone system and digital stethoscopes and blood pressure monitors--are being developed to help doctors recognize which patients need to be visited in person. "AIDS Cases Seen Decreasing in France" Reuters (09/17/96) The number of full-blown AIDS cases in France decreased in the first half of 1996, leading officials to expect a continuing annual decline. The health ministry reported Tuesday that 2,507 new AIDS cases were reported between January and June, which would amount to 5,014 cases for the year if the trend continues. Last year, 5,469 cases were reported, down from 5,789 in 1994. "6,800 Sri Lankans Suspected to be AIDS Carriers" Xinhua News Agency (09/18/96) Health officials in Sri Lanka say that an estimated 6,800 people in the country have AIDS. The first AIDS case in Sri Lanka was identified in 1986 in a man who became infected in London. By 2005, more than 80,000 Sri Lankans are expected to have with HIV. The economic impact of each AIDS case is expected to reach $19,000. "Flirting With Suicide" New York Times Magazine (09/15/96) P. 39; Green, Jesse Since 1981, HIV prevention campaigns targeted at the gay community have contained the same message--that "a condom every time" is the only way to be protected. Although the average number of unsafe sex contacts for gay men in New York City declined from more than 11 per year in 1980 to one per year in 1991, many gay men are no longer heeding safer sex warnings. As it became known that AIDS would not be cured quickly, and that safety precautions could not be temporary, the gay community began giving up the battle. By 1991, men who had been safe for at least six years were becoming less cautious, and men who had never been safe saw it as futile to start. By 1990, the weaknesses in AIDS education became apparent. Black and Latino men had not been reached, and young homosexuals were also at high risk. HIV rates among older, white, gay men who had heard the message even started rising. Berkeley psychologist Walt Odets criticizes HIV prevention campaigns targeted at gay men for being coercive and dishonest. He advocates messages that include information about relative risk and that encourage communication between partners to determine risk. "No End of Plagues" Economist--Sub-Saharan Africa Survey (09/07/96) Vol. 340, No. 7982, P. 15 Africa faces several disease threats, but the most serious is that of AIDS. The disease was initially thought to affect only the white homosexual community, and even as it spread to the general population, it was not considered a serious problem. Now, however, the threat is recognized and complacency is gone. The World Health Organization estimates that about 24 million people in sub-Saharan Africa will be HIV-positive by the year 2000. AIDS is spreading quickly throughout the region, and young military men--who spend a lot of time traveling--are especially vulnerable to HIV. Still, anti-AIDS drugs, including older drugs like AZT, are not affordable in Africa. To combat the disease, South Africa has taken several measures, including implementing sexual education programs for young people; providing treatment for sexually transmitted diseases; promoting safer sex on billboards, taxis, music tapes, and calendars; and increasing condom distribution.