                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                       June 19, 1996
     
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 National AIDS 
Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this 
text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC 
National AIDS Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this 
information. Copyright 1996, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD
     
     
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"40,000 New AIDS Cases Recorded in Zimbabwe"
"HIV Prevention in Asia: A Business Opportunity" 
"Risks Quantified for Neoplasms in Children With AIDS" 
"Namibia to Promote AIDS Program"
"Zambian President Praises NGOs' AIDS Fight"
"Atovaquone Effective Against Microsporidiosis in HIV-Positive 
Patients"
"Zimbabwe to Reduce STDs"
"U.S. Beefs up CDC's Capabilities"
"Brief Report: Rifampin-Resistant Tuberculosis in a Patient 
Receiving Rifabutin Prophylaxis"
"Blood Samples Called Safe for Mail Handlers" 
"HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Videotape Package Now Available"
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"40,000 New AIDS Cases Recorded in Zimbabwe" 
Xinhua News Agency (06/19/96) 
     In Zimbabwe, at least 40,000 new AIDS cases were reported
last year, the National AIDS Coordination Program said.  The 
agency added that the actual number could be greater than 40,000 
and that the estimated total cases could be as high as 150,000. 
The agency also reported an increase in tuberculosis cases, with 
more than 22,000 reported from January to September of 1995, 
compared to 17,000 during the same period in 1994.  More than 1 
million people in Zimbabwe are believed to be infected with HIV, 
out of a population of 10.5 million.
     
"HIV Prevention in Asia: A Business Opportunity" 
Reuters (06/18/96) 
     In a commentary in this week's issue of the Lancet, Ann
Marie Kimball of the University of Washington at Seattle and Myo 
Thant, an economist at the Asian Development Bank in Manila, 
suggest that the Asian business community should join the fight 
against the spread of HIV.  The authors say that because 
businesses stand to lose many valuable workers to the epidemic, 
they should help to increase AIDS awareness and HIV prevention 
education.
     
"Risks Quantified for Neoplasms in Children With AIDS" 
Reuters (06/18/96) 
     Unlike adults with AIDS, children with the disease are more 
likely to get non-Hodgkin's lymphoma than Kaposi's sarcoma, 
researchers say.  This agrees with incidence rates of the cancers 
in the general pediatric population, however.  Diego Serraino and 
Silvia Franceschi of the Aviano Cancer Center in Aviano, Italy, 
based their conclusions, reported recently in the journal AIDS, 
on cases of almost 11,000 children and adolescents with AIDS.  
Both Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were found more 
often at AIDS diagnosis in U.S. children than in European 
children.  Overall, 0.4 percent of the children, and 2.7 percent 
of the adolescents, had Kaposi's sarcoma at AIDS diagnosis.  
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was reported in 0.9 percent of the 
children in Europe and 1.5 percent of the children in the United 
States.  The researchers also found a higher incidence of 
Kaposi's sarcoma in adolescents with AIDS who reported homosexual 
intercourse with other males.
     
"Namibia to Promote AIDS Program"
Xinhua News Agency (06/18/96) 
     A team of officials from the government, non-government 
organizations, the United Nations joint program on AIDS, and the 
European Union has been assembled to review Namibia's AIDS program 
and to promote its implementation.  In Namibia, the number of 
people infected with HIV rose from four in 1986 to 21,737 in April 
1996.  An estimated 20 percent increase in infections from 1995 to 
1996 is expected by the end of the year, National AIDS Control 
Program Chairman Markus Sivute said.  Nine percent of all deaths 
in the country last year were attributed to AIDS.
     
"Zambian President Praises NGOs' AIDS Fight" 
Africa News Service (06/18/96) ; Phiri, Reuben
     Zambian President Frederick Chiluba praised non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) on Tuesday for their part in fighting the 
spread of AIDS.  In a speech read on his behalf at the opening of 
the sixth NGO AIDS Conference, he said that because NGOs are grass 
roots-based, they are an effective channel of communication 
between the people being targeted, donor agencies, and the 
government.  Chiluba promised that the government would "make AIDS 
a top priority for external resource allocation so that Africa 
benefits from the maximum international cooperation and solidarity 
in overcoming the epidemic and its impact."  Dr. Clarence Mini, 
chairperson of the Southern African Network of AIDS Services 
Organizations, asked the government to re-affirm its pledge to 
ensure that everyone is educated about AIDS and HIV prevention.
     
"Atovaquone Effective Against Microsporidiosis in HIV-Positive 
Patients"
Reuters (06/18/96) 
     Atovaquone may be a potential alternative treatment for 
gastrointestinal microsporidiosis, a common cause of chronic 
diarrhea, wasting, and death in patients with advanced AIDS, 
researchers report in the journal AIDS.  Jeffrey L. Lennox of 
Emory University and colleagues found that of 22 HIV-infected 
patients with intestinal microsporidial infection, the most 
common agent causing diarrhea was Enterocytozoon bieneusi.  There 
is no generally accepted treatment for E. bieneusi infection, but 
the researchers found that atovaquone was effective against the 
patients' diarrhea.  The treatment, however, did not decrease the 
parasite burden in most patients.
     
"Zimbabwe to Reduce STDs"
Xinhua News Agency (06/18/96) 
     In Zimbabwe, a country with 10.5 million residents, more
than 39 million condoms were distributed in 1995, according to 
the National AIDS Coordination Program.  Only 25.6 million 
condoms were distributed in 1994.  The agency said that the 
control of sexually transmitted diseases is a key to the 
prevention of sexual HIV transmission.  More than 1 million of 
the country's citizens are thought to be infected with HIV, and 
an estimated 300 are dying each week from AIDS-related diseases.
     
"U.S. Beefs Up CDC's Capabilities"
Science (06/07/96) Vol. 272, No. 5267; P. 1413; Pennisi, 
Elizabeth
     In 1967, health officials in the United States and other 
developed countries thought they were on their way to conquering 
infectious diseases with vaccines and antibiotics.  However, now 
tuberculosis, cholera, and other diseases previously under 
control have re-emerged, and, along with AIDS and other new 
infections, caused deaths in the United States from infectious 
diseases to increase by 58 percent between 1980 and 1992.  
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
concede that they became complacent and two years ago began 
taking steps to become more vigilant.  A $125-million plan was 
proposed, calling for increased monitoring for emerging 
infections, improvements in local and state public health 
facilities, and enhanced international efforts.  Congress 
allocated $6.7 million for the effort in 1995 and $10.7 million 
this year, and President Clinton wants to increase the amount to 
$27 million in 1997.  The CDC has also said it will provide 
$200,000 a year to 13 states, as well as to New York City and Los 
Angeles, to improve their efforts against disease.  Experts say 
that the funding pledged is not sufficient for preventing 
problems and will likely be used to deal with crises rather than 
the more cost-effective method of catching outbreaks early and 
preventing the spread of an epidemic.
     
"Brief Report: Rifampin-Resistant Tuberculosis in a Patient 
Receiving Rifabutin Prophylaxis"
New England Journal of Medicine (06/13/96) Vol. 334, No. 24; P. 
1573; Bishai, William R.; Graham, Neil M.H.; Harrington, Susan; 
et al.
     Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a growing problem in the
United States, and resistance to rifampin, a popular TB 
prophylactic drug for HIV-infected patients, is especially 
threatening.  Nine percent of TB cases in New York City in 1991 
were rifampin-resistant, up from less than 1 percent in 1979.  
Furthermore, prophylactic use of rifabutin, introduced in 1993, 
may induce rifampin-resistant TB.  Dr. William R. Bishai, of 
Johns Hopkins University, and colleagues present the case of a 
35-year-old man with HIV who was hospitalized and treated for TB. 
He was cleared of M. tuberculosis after six months of treatment, 
including treatment with rifampin.  The patient then began seeing 
a private doctor and began taking rifabutin as prophylaxis 
against TB.  Two months later, the patient developed symptoms of 
TB and died; a strain of M. tuberculosis resistant to rifampin 
and rifabutin was found to be the cause.  The man's first and 
second episodes of TB were caused by strains that were identical 
except that the second one was resistant to rifabutin and 
rifampin.  The researchers conclude that it is important to 
screen all patients for active TB before starting rifabutin 
prophylaxis, as is recommended by the Public Health Service.
     
"Blood Samples Called Safe for Mail Handlers"
Federal Times (06/10/96) Vol. 32, No. 18; P. 10; Bridger, Chet
     Following the recent approval of the country's first mail-in
HIV test kit comes approval for postal workers to carry the 
blood samples.  Both the U.S. Postal Service and Johnson & 
Johnson, the maker of the Confide HIV test, said carrying the 
packages was not a health risk for postal workers.  The Confide 
sample to be mailed consists of three dried blood spots on a 
card.  The card will be sealed in a plastic container, sealed in 
a cardboard container, sealed inside a shipping box.  The boxes 
will be handled manually and will be labeled as clinical 
specimens, carrying a green border that identifies them as HIV 
tests.  All packages will be sent to Laboratory Corporation of 
America near Bridgewater, N.J.  Johnson & Johnson says the kits 
could account for more than 5 million pieces of mail next year. 
The test kit will be available in Texas and Florida this summer 
and will be offered nationwide in 1997.
     
"HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Videotape Package Now Available"
AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service (ACTIS) (06/18/96)
     The new HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials: Knowing Your Options
videotape package is now available from the AIDS Clinical Trials
Information Service (ACTIS). ACTIS is a national information and
referral service that provides the latest details on federally and
privately sponsored clinical trials for experimental drugs and other
HIV-related therapies for adults and children. The HIV/AIDS Clinical
Trials: Knowing Your Options package includes a VHS videotape, a
discussion leader's guide, and  a brochure. The 19-minute videotape
clearly explains what HIV/AIDS clinical trials are and presents a
simple "Learn, Consider, and Choose" approach for making personal
decisions related to trials. The video features interviews with
people who have participated in clinical trials as well as doctors
and nurses who work in medical research programs. The HIV/AIDS
Clinical Trials: Knowing Your Options package and additional copies
of the brochure can be ordered from ACTIS (1-800-874-2572). There
are nominal fees for the video package and extra brochures to cover
shipping and handling costs. The videotape package costs $15 and extra
brochures are 10 per copy. Discounts are available for bulk orders.
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