From: Billi Goldberg <bigoldberg@igc.apc.org>
Subject: CDC Summary 8/13/92
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Archive-Number: 5930
Organization: unspecified
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 23:20:32 PDT

                         AIDS Daily Summary
                           August 13, 1992 
 The Centers for Disease Control (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 
Clearinghouse, or any other organization.  Reproduction of this text is 
encouraged; however, copies may not be sold.  Copyright 1992, 
Information, Inc., Washington, DC 
************************************************************************
 "Targeted Testing Could Spot Many Cases of HIV" USA Today (08/13/92), 
P. 1D  (Painter, Kim)
     A recent study indicates that hospitals could locate two-thirds  of 
the previously undetected HIV infections in their patients by  testing 
just a handful of individuals nationwide.  The plan calls for designated 
hospitals to routinely offer tests to patients  between age 15 and 54, 
and requires the patients to voluntarily  take the tests.  The study 
suggests that up to 110,000 cases  could be detected in one year.  The 
researchers, led by Dr.  Robert Janssen, surmised that 15- to 54-year-
old patients at  hospitals with the highest AIDS rates account for two-
thirds of  infections.  This type of voluntary testing could help a 
large  number of people who are unaware of their HIV infections get  
early treatment, said Dr. Thomas Quinn of the National Institute  of 
Allergy and Infectious Diseases. 

"Small Study Shows Vaccine in Patients With HIV Is Safe" Wall Street 
Journal (08/13/92), P. B6
     A study of a new immunotherapeutic vaccine in patients with HIV  
proved that the preparation is safe to administer and prompts a  rise in 
infection-fighting antibodies and immune cells.  Made by  Immune 
Response Corp. in a joint venture with Rhone-Poulenc  Rorer, the vaccine 
uses killed HIV with the outer protein coats  skimmed off.  The 
companies caution that the study was not  initiated to prove, nor does 
it offer, evidence of effectiveness. A larger and better-controlled 
study will take place later this  year, and should present definitive 
proof. 

"Panel Backs Bill Granting Women More AIDS Care" Los Angeles Times--
Washington Edition (08/13/92), P.A12 (Grace, Stephanie)
     A congressional subcommittee has approved legislation that would  
change the medical criteria under which the Social Security  
Administration determines eligibility for payments.  At issue is  a 
proposed Social Security regulation that would expand  disability 
coverage for AIDS patients.  Supporters, however, have indicated that 
they do not think the bill will be enacted as a  law when it reaches the 
House Ways and Means Committee.   Proponents of the legislation want 
diseases common to female  AIDS-sufferers to be included in the 
disabilty coverage.  The  legislation would expand the qualification 
list to include  cervical cancer, treatment-resistant syphilis, and 
recurring  pelvic inflammatory disease.  Opponents of the measure claim 
that the bill would make Congress "micro-manage" the Social Security  
Administration, and argue that medical standards change too  quickly to 
be adequately covered through legislation. 

"City's AIDS Van Delivers Hope" Baltimore Sun (08/13/92), P. 1B  
(Lippman, Laura)
     A special AIDS van in West Baltimore, Md., is just one answer to  
the AIDS problem in the city, where more than 2,200 people have  been 
diagnosed with the disease in the past ten years.  The  roving clinic on 
wheels' chief aim is to provide aid to the  city's fastest-growing 
population with AIDS: black female  drug-users.  The van's mission is 
prevention-related, and entails dispensing condoms, providing bleach 
with which to clean needles, and conducting convenient AIDS tests.  The 
van, however, has had  to expand its focus, and is now considered a 
mobile advice center for the community.  At a cost of $48,000 annually, 
it has served  more than 2,000 clients and has administered about 600 
tests  since April 1991.  The city Health Department operates the  
Winnebago, which provides only limited services to minors  12-years-old 
and under. 

"Arsenio Hall's AIDS Video Targets the Young and Stars Magic Johnson" 
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/13/92), P. C7  (Wickstrom, Andy)
     Video stores across the United States will begin offering  
Paramount's "Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You" on  Sept. 10.  
The instructional video is produced by late night talk show host Arsenio 
Hall and stars, among others, Paula Abdul,  Magic Johnson, and Luke 
Perry.  Aimed at the nation's youth, the  tape is priced at $8.50, but 
retailers are being urged by  Paramount to allow the video to be rented 
at no charge.  The  studio will donate all profits from the sale of the 
tape to the  Magic Johnson Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting 
AIDS.

"Report backs HIV Testing in Hospitals" Philadelphia Inquirer 
(08/13/92), P. A2  (Haney, Daniel Q.)
     As many as 110,000 Americans who are infected with HIV but don't  
know it could be identified by routine AIDS testing of all young  and 
middle-age patients at hospitals where AIDS is relatively  common, 
according to a report written by Dr. Robert A. Janssen  and colleagues 
from the Centers for Disease Control.  The report, published in today's 
New England Journal of Medicine, said that  such large-scale tests could 
in one year identify about 11  percent of all Americans carrying the 
virus.  Although one-fifth  of the one million Americans thought to be 
infected with HIV are  hospitalized each year, about two-thirds are 
treated for  conditions unrelated to AIDS and many probably do not know 
they  are infected.  Broad-scale testing has been opposed by many  
groups, who argue against the concept of testing many people who  are at 
extremely low risk of the virus.  However, the CDC  proposal focuses on 
hospital patients in the age groups and  locations where there is the 
highest chance of finding  unsuspected infections--in hospitals that 
have one or more newly  diagnosed cases of AIDS for each 1,000 people 
discharged.   Related Story: Baltimore Sun (08/13) P. 2A 

"Scientists Link a Gene to Drug-Resistant TB" Philadelphia Inquirer 
(08/13/92), P. A2  (Collins, Huntly)
     A gene that apparently explains why fatal new strains of  
tuberculosis are resistant to standard drug therapy has been  identified 
by scientists at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in Hammersmith 
Hospital in London.  The findings, published  yesterday in Nature 
magazine, determined that the gene katG is  found in most strains of TB 
bacteria except those that are  resistant to isoniazid, the most 
commonly used drug to fight the  disease.  The gene produces an enzyme 
that is susceptible to  isoniazid; when it is missing, the drug no 
longer has an effect  on the bacteria, the scientists said.  The 
discovery could lead  to new anti-TB drugs and the development of a 
faster way of  diagnosing drug-resistant TB strains, to which people 
infected  with HIV are particularly vulnerable.  According to 
preliminary  studies by the Centers for Disease Control, almost 15 
percent of  the estimated 25,000 new TB cases reported in the United 
States  every year may be of the drug-resistant strain.

"Mann the Torpedoes" Advocate (07/30/92) No. 608, P. 42  (Gessen, Masha)
     AIDS research has not been properly applied, observed the  chairman 
of the Eighth International Conference on Aids Jonathan  Mann.  He added 
that the World Health Organization is shifting  the focus of AIDS to 
undeveloped countries, suggesting the threat of AIDS has been resolved 
in developed nations.  By defining AIDS as a problem in undeveloped 
countries, it becomes an issue of  charity for a problem perceived as 
remote to Americans rather  than an issue of solidarity to remedy the 
global phenomenon of  AIDS, said Mann.  In addition to understanding the  
all-encompassing effects of AIDS, the United States must also  improve 
access to health care and sex education.  Americans also  need to learn 
to tolerate diversity, Mann asserted.  To support  this global effort, a 
group of international players must band  together to further AIDS 
research and awareness; the United  States cannot lead the battle alone.  
While strong support from  community and human rights organizations has 
emerged in the  United States, the federal government has been slow to  
contribute.  Mann remarked that the move of the conference from  Boston 
to Amsterdam in protest of the Bush Administration's ban  on HIV-
positive travellers from abroad will probably not reverse  the 
legislation. 

"Seroprevalence of HIV-1 and Hepatitis B and C in Prostitutes in  
Albuquerque, New Mexico" American Journal of Public Health (08/92) Vol. 
82, No. 8, P. 1151 (Tabet, Stephen R.; Palmer, Darwin L.; et al)
     The seroprevalence of HIV-1 in American female prostitutes has  
been reported as high as 58 percent.  Most of these HIV-1  positive 
prostitutes contracted the virus through IV drug use  rather than sexual 
activity.  Prevalence rates of hepatitis B and C among male and female 
prosecutes is also high.  IV drug users  have a high rate of hepatitis 
C.  A survey of 109 street  prostitutes in Albuquerque, N.M., was 
conducted to determine the  seroprevalence of HIV-1, HBV, and HCV.  
Three of the prostitutes  had antibodies to HIV-1.  Two were homosexual 
males who said they had engaged in receptive anal intercourse.  Fourteen 
percent of  the participants had anitbodies to HBV, while 20 percent had  
antibodies to HCV.  Twenty-five percent tested positive for both  HBV 
and HCV.  Increased age, female gender, and IV drug use was  positively 
associated with HBV and HCV transmission.  The sharing of needles was 
negatively associated with HIV-1, HBV, and HCV  transmission.  The low 
rate of HIV-1 suggests a preventive  intervention program would be 
effective.  The high rate of survey participation, 109 out of 120 
solicited, also suggests that  street-based outreach programs would be 
an effective way to  educate this population. 

"Dissimilarities Between Tuskegee Study and HIV/AIDS Programs 
Emphasized" American Journal of Public Health (08/92) Vol. 82 No. 8, P. 
1176  (Grunfeld, Gershon B.)
     Gershon B. Grunfeld, Ph. D., disagrees with a recently published  
article comparing the similarities between the strategies used to select 
and retain participants in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and methods used 
by HIV/AIDS programs.  Grunfeld indicated that the  Tuskegee study was 
not supervised by an independent review board  nor did it have a 
protocol.  However, no study on AIDS or any  other medical study on 
human subjects in the United States can be conducted without those 
conditions today.  Furthermore, the  Tuskegee study did not inform 
participants of the subject of the  study, a violation of the National 
Research Act.  Moreover, the  participants did not receive effective 
treatment for syphilis.   Although a treatment for AIDS has not been 
developed, subjects  are provided with accurate information about the 
virus, unlike  subjects of the Tuskegee study.  The safeguards present 
today  should improve the trust between the Black community and public  
healthy authorities, concludes Grunfeld.