                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                       July 28, 1995

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 Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction
of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC
Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information.
Copyright 1995, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD


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"Senate Votes to Continue AIDS Program"
"House Rebuffs Many Budget Amendments"
"Scarlet Letters"
"Swazi Insurance Firm Starts Screening for AIDS"
"TB Rate in Mass. Lowest in a Century"
"Boxing-Loughran Threatens to Pull Out of Fight Over AIDS Scare"
"Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.: Tokyo Expands..."
"New Antiviral Drug Could Slow AIDS-Related Blindness"
"Spin Doctor"
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"Senate Votes to Continue AIDS Program"
Washington Post (07/28/95) P. A10;  Dewar, Helen
     By a vote of 97 to 3, the Senate Thursday approved 
reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act--a $633-million 
program named for a young Indiana hemophiliac who died after 
contracting HIV from a blood transfusion.  During the hearings, 
Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) repeatedly criticized homosexuals and 
called AIDS prevention programs in schools and the federal 
government "thinly veiled attempts to restructure values of 
American families in favor of the homosexual lifestyle."  Though 
Helms was soundly defeated on the reauthorization issue, he did 
win some minor victories, including unanimous approval of a 
provision making attendance optional at federal workplace AIDS 
prevention programs.  The Senator failed, however, to freeze 
spending levels for the Ryan White program through the year 2000.
The approved bill puts no limits on spending for the program.  
The Senate also passed a Helms proposal that prohibits the use of
any Ryan White funds to promote homosexuality or intravenous drug
use.  But later the Senate also approved a proposal by Sen. Nancy
Kassebaum (R-Kan.) to bar spending for activities that directly 
promote drug use or any sexual activity.  The Ryan White CARE Act
expires at the end of September, unless it is reauthorized by 
Congress.  The House will consider its version of the act in 
September, shortly before spending bills for the coming fiscal 
year are passed.  Related Story: New York Times (07/28) P. A16; 
Washington Times (07/28) P. A8; Philadelphia Inquirer (07/28) P. 
A6
      
"House Rebuffs Many Budget Amendments"
New York Times (07/28/95) P. A18;  Gray, Jerry
     The House of Representatives has rejected many spending bill 
amendments that sought to protect billions of dollars in housing 
and environmental protection programs.  The spending bill 
provides nearly $80 billion for the 1996 fiscal year, which 
begins Oct. 1, for veterans benefits, housing programs, and 
several agencies that deal with science, the environment, and 
space exploration.  However, the bill eliminates more than $10 
billion from 1995 spending levels by cutting dozens of programs, 
including President Clinton's community service program 
AmeriCorps.  The Department of Housing and Urban Development 
(HUD) received more than $19 billion for fiscal 1996, but would 
lose 25 percent of its 1995 budget or 5.6 billion.  The HUD 
budget includes $2.5 billion for public housing modernization and
$1 billion for "special needs" housing for the elderly, the 
disabled, and people with AIDS.
      
"Scarlet Letters"
Baltimore Sun (07/28/95) P. 1D;  Schoettler, Carl
     Mail handler Tim Snodgrass, who has been fired by the postal 
service for his refusal to deliver mail to a couple with AIDS, 
voiced fears and prejudices that continue to surround AIDS after 
almost a decade of research, education, and publicity.  Snodgrass
said he was afraid of becoming infected with HIV from envelopes 
Pat and Fred Grounds had licked or from cutting himself on their 
mail slot.  For years, the public has been told that HIV is only 
spread through intimate contact with blood, semen, vaginal 
secretions, or breast milk.  But people like Snodgrass continue 
to fear people with AIDS.  The stigma related to AIDS is not new 
to the Grounds, for Pat has been barred from a tanning studio and
rejected by a manicurist.  The couple, however, received a great 
deal of sympathy from across the country for their mail delivery 
problems.  Pat believes her strong faith in God protects her from
bitterness and anger, and keeps her and her husband alive.
      
"Swazi Insurance Firm Starts Screening for AIDS"
Reuters (07/27/95)
     The Swaziland Royal Insurance Corporation has introduced 
mandatory HIV testing for clients applying to take out life 
policies of more than 25,000 rand ($6,868).  "This is done to 
curb the high number of claims made to the corporation in which 
the cause of death is AIDS-related," a company spokesman said.  
If the insurance company did not begin screening for HIV, he 
added, it would be faced with many problems.  The Health Ministry
estimated that about 80,000 of the southern African kingdom's 
900,000 citizens were HIV-infected by the end of February.  It 
was predicted that about 9,000 would die from AIDS-related 
illnesses in 1996.
      
"TB Rate in Mass. Lowest in a Century"
Boston Globe (07/26/95) P. 18;  Kong, Delores
     The rate of tuberculosis (TB) cases has fallen to the lowest 
level in more than a century, health officials announced earlier 
this week.  The rate is now down to less than 6 cases for every 
100,000 individuals, a decline due to state-funded TB clinics, 
public health nursing visits, and other aspects of the public 
health system, the officials said.  Despite the drop, the TB rate
remains much higher among such groups as the homeless, 
immigrants, and minorities.  This rate could increase again if 
cost-cutting pressures force hospitals to close TB control 
clinics, public health officials predicted.  Although the state 
funds TB clinics at hospitals and other locations, it does not 
pay for all of the facilities' expenses, explained Dr. Alfred 
DeMaria Jr., assistant public health commissioner.
      
"Boxing-Loughran Threatens to Pull Out of Fight Over AIDS Scare"
Reuters (07/26/95)
     On Wednesday, WBO welterweight champion Eamonn Loughran 
threatened to pull out of his title fight against Luvuyo Kakaza 
of South Africa unless Kakaza is tested for HIV.  Loughran, who 
is from Northern Ireland, said he was worried about recent 
reports that 34 professional boxers in South Africa had tested 
HIV-positive.  "That causes me a lot of concern," said Loughran.
      
"Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.: Tokyo Expands..."
Healthwire (07/26/95)
     Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. intends to expand its operations 
in the United States with Chugai Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (CBI) in
an effort to enhance its global research and development network.
CBI's mission is to identify genes that cause disease and 
eventually develop a fully integrated commercial company.  CBI is
currently conducting human clinical tests on an antiviral agent 
that may be used in the treatment of AIDS.  In addition, CBI 
plans to research viral and bacteria infections, various cancers,
and cardiovascular disease.
      
"New Antiviral Drug Could Slow AIDS-Related Blindness"
American Medical News (07/17/95) Vol. 38, No. 26, P. 23
     Cidofovir--the first of a new class of antiviral drugs--appears 
to help AIDS patients ward off the blinding cytomegalovirus 
infection, according to manufacturer Gilead Sciences.  The drug's
potential is beginning to draw attention to nucleotide analogs to
fight AIDS-related infections, as well as HIV, experts say.  "We 
believe this class of drugs does confer some real advantages to 
patients," says Gilead's Dr. Howard Jaffe.  Nucleotide analogs, 
cousins to nucleoside analogs such as AZT, have a chemical 
structure that allows them to enter any cell and begin working 
without having to be "turned on," explains Dr. Arnold Friedland 
of St. Jude's Children's Hospital.  Tests show that cidofovir 
fought blindness progression for 120 days, compared to just 50 
days for the current treatment, says Jaffe.  As a result of this 
success, Gilead has begun early human testing of an oral HIV 
therapy that would work similarly, although results are years in 
the future.
      
"Spin Doctor"
Advocate (07/25/95) No. 686, P. 35;  Gallagher, John
     The June 15 appointment of Dr. R. Scott Hitt as chair of the 
Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS was hardly surprising 
to anyone but Hitt himself.  However, Hitt's combination of 
political savvy and support for the president made him a clear 
choice to defend the panel against charges that it was redundant 
and the product of political expediency.  Hitt's appointment was 
also a beacon of his potential importance in the forthcoming 
electoral battle, when President Clinton will need to ensure the 
support of gay voters.  The 36-year-old physician's many 
qualifications include serving as a board member of AIDS Project 
Los Angeles and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, as a co-chair of 
the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, and a member of Access Now for 
Gay and Lesbian Equality.  "I don't think there's an aspect of 
this battle that Scott hasn't been exposed to," according to 
David Mixner, a friend and political ally of Hitt's, who has also
advised Clinton on gay matters.
      
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