From: Billi Goldberg <bigoldberg@igc.apc.org>
Subject: CDC Summary 9/30/92
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Archive-Number: 6256
Organization: unspecified
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 09:13:37 PDT

                         AIDS Daily Summary
                         September 30, 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 CDC 
Clearinghouse, or any other organization.  Reproduction  of this text is 
encouraged; however, copies may not be sold.  Copyright 1992, 
Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD 
************************************************************************
 "New Virus Similar to HIV is Discounted" Washington Post (09/30/92), P. 
A2
     The World Health Organization announced yesterday that it found  no 
conclusive evidence that a new virus is the cause of the  AIDS-like 
condition experienced in a small number of patients,  although the group 
did recommend additional study on the issue.   WHO's announcement came 
after it sponsored a two-day meeting of  22 top AIDS experts who 
examined reports on fewer than 100 people who have shown signs of the 
illness without having detectable HIV infection.  The majority of the 
cases, which involved severe  damage to the immune system, could be 
linked to diseases like  cancer, drug abuse, tuberculosis or genetic 
defects, said Michael Merson, head of WHO's AIDS program.  "There is no 
evidence of a  new HIV-like epidemic," said Merson, adding that the 
cases "do  not have a common thread."  In July at the Eighth 
International  Conference on AIDS in Amsterdam, several doctors from the 
United  States and other developed countries reported on the mysterious  
AIDS-like syndrome.  WHO requested that 39 laboratories worldwide report 
similar cases for investigation.  A WHO statement said  nothing 
indicates there is a new HIV-like virus or any other  source of 
infection that could be transmitted by blood or other  bodily fluids, 
such as HIV.  WHO added that in a very small  number of patients, 
initial findings indicate the presence of  several different germs, but 
their existence has not been  verified by other labs and their 
significance is not clear.  Related Stories: New York Times (09/30) P. 
C12; Wall Street  Journal (09/30) P. B2; Baltimore Sun (09/30) P. 4A 

"Johnson, Unbowed By H.I.V., Will Return to Pro Basketball" New York 
Times (09/30/92), P. A1  (Brown, Clifton)
     Magic Johnson, who tested HIV-positive last November and retired  
from the National Basketball Association, announced yesterday  that he 
will return to professional basketball.  Johnson was the  first athlete 
ever to publicly disclose his HIV-positive status,  and he said he 
expects to play in 50 to 60 of the Los Angeles  Lakers' 82 scheduled 
games.  Johnson said, "You always run a  risk, but I think the positive 
outweighs the risks."  Since  announcing his infection last fall, he has 
become the world's  most renowned AIDS spokesman.  Although he admitted 
that his  return to basketball posed a risk to his health, he said that 
he  was willing to take that chance.  AIDS experts have said that  there 
is virtually no risk of transmission of HIV in a sport like basketball.  
Also, the National Basketball Association has backed Johnson since his 
original announcement last November.  David  Stern, the NBA 
commissioner, said yesterday in a statement,  "Since the day that Magic 
announced that he had tested  HIV-positive, our principle concern has 
been his personal  well-being.  We have conferred with his doctors, who 
have advised that they are comfortable with Magic's decision to return 
to  active competition.  We are pleased that he feels well enough to  
return."  Johnson said he plans on adjusting his schedule to  avoid 
games on back-to-back nights, and to avoid some of the more tiresome 
travel portions of the Lakers' schedule.  Dr. Michael  Mellman, the 
Lakers' team physician, stressed that Johnson's  health would be watched 
closely and that his schedule would be  changed if necessary.  Related 
Story: Washington Post (09/30) P. C1, C4 

"Physicians Support Johnson's Comeback" New York Times (09/30/92), P. 
B14  (Rosenthal, Elisabeth)
     AIDS experts yesterday commended Magic Johnson for his decision  to 
return to professional basketball.  They said that he should  be able to 
return without limitations and that the physical  stresses of playing 
the sport should not speed up the development of his disease.  Dr. 
Anthony Fauci, director of the National  Institute for Allergy and 
Infectious Disease in Bethesda, Md.,  said, "There is no medical reason 
why he shouldn't go back to the game."  In fact, most AIDS experts were 
uneasy when Johnson  announced his retirement in the first place.  Fauci 
said, "My  concern as a physician and a public health official is that 
when  Magic retired because he had HIV that it would send out a bad  
signal, that HIV-infected people should be restricted in what  they can 
do."  Dr. Fauci and other specialists said they  encourage their HIV-
positive patients to let their symptoms guide their level of activity.  
Dr. Fauci indicated that early HIV  infection, which Johnson is probably 
experiencing, should have no influence on strength, endurance, or 
coordination.  According to  experts, there is no good scientific 
evidence that the vigorous  exercise experienced in a basketball game 
would hasten the  progression of HIV disease.  However, sufficient rest 
and a good  diet are probably important for very active people with HIV, 
said Aliza Lifshitz, a member of the Los Angeles County AIDS  
Commission.  In addition, AIDS experts project that Johnson's  return to 
professional basketball will improve his condition in  the long run. 

"Firefighter Seeks Continued Benefits" United Press International 
(09/29/92)
     Toledo, Ohio--A firefighter has filed a lawsuit against the city  
of Toledo in order to receive continued workers' compensation  benefits 
for treating his HIV disease.  Timothy Shiltz, an  11-year veteran of 
the Toledo fire department, contracted HIV  from one or more needle 
sticks he incurred as a paramedic, and  tested positive for the virus in 
March 1991, according to his  lawyer, Mark Prajsner.  The firefighter, a 
homosexual, waived his right to confidentiality and agreed to disclose 
his status  publicly, said the attorney.  Prajsner added that the 
Industrial  Commission of Ohio has ruled that Shiltz's infection was 
acquired in the course of his employment and ordered the city to pay the  
firefighter's expenses and compensation.  Toledo challenged the  
Industrial Commission's ruling on Aug. 28.  The lawsuit requested that 
the court permit Shiltz to continue to engage in the  benefits of the 
state's compensation fund.  Prajsner said Shiltz  was exposed to HIV via 
infected blood and bodily fluids while  rescuing, treating, and 
transporting infected people. 

"U.S. Halts Payments to Hospital for not Hiring Man With HIV" Washington 
Post (09/30/92), P. A3  (Gladwell, Malcolm)
     The Bush administration has, for the first time ever in AIDS  
related civil rights history, discontinued more than $100 million a year 
in payments to a New York-area hospital because it  discriminated 
against an HIV-positive job applicant.  The civil  rights review board 
of the Department of Health and Human  Services ruled yesterday that the 
Westchester County Medical  Center in Valhalla, N.Y., breached federal 
anti-discrimination  laws in 1986 when it refused to hire an HIV-
positive pharmacist.  The hospital had argued that employing the man 
would have posed  an increased risk for patients in contracting HIV.  
The ruling  indicates that after a 30-day period for congressional 
review,  all federal Medicaid and Medicare funds to the hospital--which  
come to about 40 percent of its $250 million annual budget--will  be 
stopped until the institution provides the man with the  position and 
pays him the money he would have earned if he had  the job since 1986.  
HHS Secretary Louis W. Sullivan said, "In  America today, hundreds of 
thousands of people with HIV infection are productively working in jobs 
of all kinds, supporting  themselves as well as their families.  Today's 
decision sends a  clear message that irrational discrimination against 
such persons will not be tolerated."  A Westchester Hospital spokesman 
said  that while the institution still feels it acted correctly in  
dealing with the pharmacist's case, it will not pursue additional legal 
appeals and already has begun efforts to comply with the  government's 
ruling. Related Story: Philadelphia Inquirer (09/30) P. A8 

"U.S. Judge Adds Clout to Prison TB Effort" Philadelphia Inquirer 
(09/30/92), P. B1  (Cohn, Gary)
     A federal judge ruled yesterday that Pennsylvania must implement  
major improvements for screening and treating tuberculosis in the 
state's 24,400 inmate prison system.  U.S. District Judge Jan E.  
DuBois' ruling calls for the Pennsylvania Department of  Corrections to 
put into effect a new TB-control policy that was  adopted Sept. 4.  The 
judge's ruling comes in response to new  evidence that TB cases in the 
state prisons are significantly  increasing.  Since 1988 there have been 
34 reported cases of TB  in state prisons, and 21 since 1991.  DuBois 
said that the  state's new TB-control policy was excellent and that the  
Department of Corrections appeared to be acting to implement it.  
However, he also referred to the seriousness of the disease and  the 
state's reluctance to implement earlier TB-control policies.  "Given the 
increase in the number of reported cases of active TB  disease between 
1988 and 1992, the seriousness of active TB  disease, the possibility of 
additional complications where the  patient is infected with HIV, and 
the potential risk of side  effects from preventive drug therapy, the 
Court concludes that  there is a probability of irreparable harm to 
plaintiff class,"  wrote DuBois in a 19-page memorandum.  The ruling is 
significant  because it puts the authority of the federal court behind 
the  changes.  If corrections officials do not establish the changes  
throughout the prison system, they could be ordered back to court. 

"Marine Corps Threatens AIDS Group With Lawsuit" United Press 
International (09/29/92)
     San Francisco--The U.S. Marine Corps has filed a lawsuit against  
an AIDS organization for using their emblem in advertising.  The  Corps 
has threatened the San Francisco AIDS Foundation with legal action if 
the group does not discontinue its latest print ad,  which depicts a 
topless male model with the Marine Corps symbol  tattooed on his arm.  
The ad, entitled "Sex is Good," was  featured in June in the San 
Francisco Examiner's Image Magazine,  a section of the Sunday paper.  
Major K.H. Winters, assistant  staff judge advocate, said, "The use of 
the emblem in your  advertisement could create the inference that the 
Marine Corps is somehow partially responsible for the spread of AIDS."  
Pat  Christen, the foundation's executive director, said Tuesday that  
the threat is being viewed as a form of censorship.  She said,  "We 
found the Marine Corps objections patently absurd.  If they  go to 
court, so be it."  However, Marine Corps spokeswoman 2nd  Lt. Kim Miller 
said, "Our emblem is a protected copyright.  We  get hundreds of 
requests from organizations each year who want to use it, but they have 
to get permission.  We also tell those who  request the use of our 
emblem that the Marine Corps does not  endorse any product or private 
organization." 

"Testing Target Date Looms, but will the Vaccines be Ready?" Science 
(09/11/92) Vol. 257, No. 5076, P. 1472  (Palca, Joseph)
     While the AIDS vaccine trials are expected to start at the end of 
1993 or at the beginning of the following year, officials from  the 
National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Diseases  (NIAID) are not 
so sure if the tests will be possible.  This  became evident at the AIDS 
vaccine meeting held in Chantilly  Virginia from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3.  No 
candidate vaccine is  clearly going to be ready for testing even if 
NIAID does succeed  in putting the infrastructure in place for efficacy 
trials.   Researchers fear that once NIAID is prepared, federal AIDS  
officials will be compelled to start testing, despite the  availability 
of effective candidate vaccines.  NIAID officials  are discovering there 
are still a lot of problems to be solved.   Some people question whether 
researchers will be able to recruit  from among high-risk populations 
the thousands of volunteers  needed for large-scale trials.  AIDS 
activists are also concerned that insurance companies will discriminate 
against trial  participants.  Brenda Lein of the San Francisco based 
Project  Inform argues that well-educated subjects will refuse to  
participate unless the trial vaccine has a high probability of  being 
effective.  It is also possible that too few people are  contracting HIV 
to make large efficacy trials possible. 

"News in Brief: New Mexico" Advocate (09/22/92) No. 612, P. 27
     No confidentiality violations have occurred since the New Mexico  
human services department moved secret files containing the names of 
people who tested positive for HIV, according to human  services 
department deputy secretary Auguis Narbutas.  The human  services 
department moved the files from a computer system  maintained by a 
private firm to one operated by the state general services department.  
A week earlier, departmental management  analyst Hugh Overholser told 
the committee that various security  violations of confidential 
information had transpired since the  move.  He added that one day, a 
confidential file containing the  names of people who tested positive 
for HIV appeared on his  screen before he even logged onto his computer.  
Narbutas  conceded that Overholser's computer "got some things it 
shouldn't have gotten," but reemphasized that there was no infringement  
upon confidential AIDS files. 

"News in Brief: North Dakota" Advocate (09/27/92) No. 612, P. 27
     North Dakota securities commissioner Glenn Pomeroy announced Aug. 
19 that he prevented two companies that purchase life insurance  
policies from AIDS patients from doing so in the state.  Buying  the 
policies is "flat-out illegal," said Pomeroy.  However,  officials of 
the companies--National Insurance Marketing Inc. of  Panama City, Fla., 
and Life Partners Inc. of Waco, Tex.--contend  that they did not violate 
any laws. 

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