A similar disease is reported in other parts of the world. They are almost all young homosexual men. Epidemiologists suspect that the illness is spread through sexual intercourse between men. It may be carried in semen. The number of new patients and deaths continues to climb.
Scientists realize that an epidemic is underway.
Doctors report that a few injection drug users, people who sometimes share needles, also show signs of the new disease. A small amount of blood in shared needles may be spreading the disease. There are reports of people with hemophilia getting the new disease. Because their blood doesn't clot well, these people need frequent injections of blood. Whatever causes the disease may be spread in blood.