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Date:         Sun, 26 Jul 1992 09:33:00 EDT
From:         "push the button, frank!" <SWEDE@DRYCAS.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: new AIDS virus?

Here's something on that so-called 'new AIDS virus' that was recently
inquired about here.  It's also a great reason to not read Newsweek, as
if you needed any more reasons.  It comes from the World AIDS Conference
Daily Newsletter, which can be found in its complete form on
sci.med.aids.

Gary W. Olson                 "Turn the tables with our unity,    -L7,
SWEDE@DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU   they're not a moral nor majority.  "Pretend
                               Wake up and smell the coffee,       We're
                               or just say no to individualty."    Dead"
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From: matthew@ooc.uva.nl (Matthew Lewis)
Date: 22 Jul 92 16:39:39 GMT
Organization: Center for Innovation and Cooperative Technology, University of Am
   sterdam
Note: non-commercial reproduction.

>Here is the Conference newspaper, Wednesday 22 July.  This paper
>cones to you courtesy of HIVNET, a Dutch organisation that has set
>up a network of BBS systems to spread information about HIV and
>AIDS.  The paper is available due to the kind cooperation of the
>Aids Congress Foundation.

[...]

>Mystery syndrome: the only mystery was why everyone got excited
>by William Check

>What was rumoured to be  the beginning of a new phase to the AIDS
>epidemic turned out to be a rare and vaguely defined immune
>deficiency syndrome with no evidence for transmission. At a
>Recent Reports session specially convened yesterday, Dr Jeffrey
>Laurence, of Cornell Medical College, described five patients with
>progressive immune deficiency and no evidence of infection with
>HIV or any other agent. A report on the cases just appeared in
>Newsweek, prompting Dr James Curran, director of HIV/AIDS at
>the US National Centers for Disease Control, to ask "What does
>Newsweek know that we don't know?"

>Following Laurence's presentation, Curran described six similar
>cases reported to the CDC over the past few years. Other scientists
>added sporadic instances of HIV-negative patients with moderate-
>to-severe immune deficiency and no evidence for HIV infection.
>Curran concluded, "I think [this syndrome] is real, but I don't know
>if it's new." He also said that it must be uncommon. Laurence
>agreed that it is "exceedingly rare". The two also agreed that these
>are not AIDS cases.

>Laurence defined his cases as "a progressive, sustained immuno-
>suppression."

>Two patients' CD4 counts had dropped to 270 and 280 and
>continued to fall. Three had very low CD4 counts and opportunistic
>infections - cytomegalovirus colitis, Kaposi's sarcoma, pneumocystis
>carinii pneumonia, and herpes zoster. A few had known risk factors
>for HIV transmission.

>Most cases reported to CDC have been similar to Laurence's. CDC
>did not report these cases because too many questions remained
>and "We wanted to answer them through the usual scientific
>channels," Curran said.

>Addressing fears that the syndrome is due to a variant of HIV not
>detected by current tests, Dr James Allen, of CDC, said, "I think you
>can rest assured that the blood supply is safe in countries that have
>a screening system in place."

>"Should we have reported a year ago when we first had three
>cases?" Curran asked the AIDS researchers. "Yes", came the
>resounding cries. He agreed to write up CDC's information and to
>issue a call for additional cases.

[...]

>--
>Matthew Lewis, University of Amsterdam         Grote Bickersstraat 72
>+31-20-52 51 220                               1013 KS  Amsterdam
>Internet: matthew@ooc.uva.nl                   The Netherlands
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU