Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 17:01:34 -0400 From: "Flynn Mclean" Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary 09/20/96 AIDS Daily Summary September 20, 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 ****************************************************** "Confidential AIDS Data Given to Paper" "Health Officials Are Urging a Focus on AIDS in Prisons" "Morrison Plans One More Fight Despite H.I.V.-Positive Status" "Rare, Deadly Germs Discovered Globally" "The Trades of the Tricks" "Disease Threat Arriving via Foreign Ships" "Tennessee Court Rules for Insurer in Failure to Disclose Case Involving HIV-Positive Male" "Occupational Risks Associated With Tuberculosis Listed" "Duration of the Survival Benefit of Zidovudine Therapy in HIV Infection" "HIV Patient Denied Hospital Admission" ****************************************************** "Confidential AIDS Data Given to Paper" Washington Post (09/20/96) P. A7 The Tampa Tribune was anonymously sent a copy of a confidential computer disk containing the names of 4,000 AIDS patients. The disk was mailed to the newspaper with a letter which said the disk was dropped outside a bar by a drunken public health worker who had showed the list to friends on a laptop computer. The writer also claimed to have made a copy of the disk. The newspaper reports that it gave a copy of the disk and letter to the Florida. Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, which is investigating the incident. The public health worker, one of three people with access to the information, has been placed on paid administrative leave. A state health department representative called the incident "probably about the worst thing that could happen in the AIDS program." "Health Officials Are Urging a Focus on AIDS in Prisons" Philadelphia Inquirer (09/20/96) P. A25; Vedantam, Shankar The rate of AIDS in U.S. prisons is six times greater than the national average, federal researchers report, adding that about 22 million Americans enter and leave jails and prisons each year. Unsafe sex practices and needle sharing put inmates at high risk, and increase the chance that they will carry the virus with them when released. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported their findings Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health. They are supporting AIDS education for prisoners, and the distribution of condoms and clean needles in jails and prisons. Most correctional facilities are reluctant to provide prisoners with condoms and needles, however, because they see such practices as condoning activity they do not allow. Researchers and prison advocates say this position is unrealistic, and increases the risk of spreading HIV. "Morrison Plans One More Fight Despite H.I.V.-Positive Status" New York Times (09/20/96) P. B8; Roberts, Selena Although boxer Tommy Morrison announced in February, after learning that he is infected with HIV, that he would "absolutely" not box again, he said Thursday that he wants to fight "one last time." Morrison was suspended from the sport in Nevada because he tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, but some states do not screen boxers for HIV. If he can find an opponent, Morrison said he wants to schedule a fight to benefit his foundation, Knockout AIDS. He says he has been convinced by medical evidence that HIV cannot be spread in the ring. His promoter, Tony Holden, is not yet convinced of this, however, and says that, until he is, he will not promote such a match. Boxer Ross Puritty said that he is willing to fight Morrison "if the money is right." "Rare, Deadly Germs Discovered Globally" USA Today (09/20/96) P. 12D; Manning, Anita New germs, some deadly, are emerging all over the world, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Among the new microbes discussed at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, was hepatitis G, a new form of the virus. that appears to be transmitted in the blood but has not been linked to disease. The researchers also pointed to bartonella, discovered in 1990, as the cause of various illnesses in healthy people, but which can be fatal to people with compromised immunity. In AIDS patients, it causes an illness that mimics Kaposi's sarcoma. Dr. Jane E. Koehler says it is critical for doctors to recognize the difference, because the treatment is completely different. "The Trades of the Tricks" Washington Post (09/19/96) P. C1; Bowles, Scott Police say that escort services have become popular among white-collar johns in the Washington, D.C., area. Using cellular phones, voice mail systems, and computers to process credit-card payments, call girls in the region often operate as professionals through agencies that often escape prosecution. However, these women note that they still fear contracting HIV. While they usually demand that a condom be worn, they "still live scared that the next guy has AIDS. You just have to weigh the risk against how much money you make," said one call girl. "Disease Threat Arriving via Foreign Ships" USA Today (09/19/96) P. 3A; Tyson, Rae Foreign ships coming to the United States are carrying bacteria that cause cholera and other deadly diseases thought to have been eradicated here. More than 21 billion gallons of ballast water, carrying cholera, E. coli, botulism, salmonella, cryptosporidium, and hepatitis A, are dumped by the ships that enter U.S. waters each year. The bacteria infect shellfish which, when eaten raw, can infect humans. Congress is now considering implementing new ballast water regulations. "Tennessee Court Rules for Insurer in Failure to Disclose Case Involving HIV-Positive Male" Reuters (09/19/96) A life insurance company's decision that a man who did not reveal that he had HIV was not eligible for disability benefits was upheld by a Tennessee Court of Appeals. K.K. filed a lawsuit against the Paul Revere Life Insurance, claiming that his condition should not have been covered under the company's pre-existing conditions clause. The company held that AIDS is not a pre-existing condition, but rather an illness, and that the policy did not cover pre-existing illnesses. "Occupational Risks Associated With Tuberculosis Listed" Reuters (09/19/96) Inhalation therapists, lower-paid health care workers, and funeral directors are at increased risk for tuberculosis (TB) than the general population, federal researchers report. Matthew T. McKenna and colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that people with the "most intensive interaction with patients with pulmonary disease" are at high risk for contracting TB. They suggest that the risk of TB in the community should be considered when implementing worksite TB control measures. "Duration of the Survival Benefit of Zidovudine Therapy in HIV Infection" Journal of the American Medical Association (09/11/96) Vol. 276, No. 10, P. 762; Moore, Richard D. While zidovudine is known to provide a survival benefit for advanced AIDS patients, the length of time of this benefit is not known. However, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine now report in the Archives of Internal Medicine that the survival advantage lasts between one and two years. They made the estimate based on data from nearly 400 HIV-infected patients who were followed for three years. Compared to no treatment, a significant benefit from zidovudine was found during the first year of therapy. A diminishing benefit was found, however, at one to two years. "HIV Patient Denied Hospital Admission" American Medical News (09/09/96) Vol. 39, No. 34, P. 30 A federal trial court ruled that an Ohio hospital violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it refused to admit an HIV-positive patient. The patient was taken to the emergency room after having an adverse reaction to a new medication. The attending physician determined that the patient had to be admitted, but the hospital's admitting physician denied the patient's admission. The patient was transferred to a medical college hospital, where the staff determined that he was having a simple, but severe, allergic reaction to his medication. The patient sued the first hospital and the admitting physician for violating the ADA, the Federal Rehabilitation Act, and the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. The trial court ruled against the hospital and the physician on the ADA claim only. The patient was not entitled to damages, but the hospital was enjoined from further violations of the ADA and ordered to post signs to inform HIV-infected patients of their protection from discrimination under the ADA.