-----===[[[ A I D S w i r e D I G E S T 08.23.93 ]]]===----- U.S. to Test MicroGeneSys AIDS Vaccine After Firm Torpedoes Broader Study * Wall Street Journal (08/23/93) P. B2 Chase, Marilyn and Ricks, Thomas E. A pharmaceutical company is under criticism after diverting a government attempt to test several AIDS vaccines by refusing to donate its product, VaxSyn. Federal agencies have tried for several months to devise a test of several promising products, but will now test MicroGeneSys's vaccine only. Although other potential companies were to donate their products for the study under the National Institutes of Health, MicroGeneSys asked $10 million for the use of VaxSyn. NIH refused and thus terminated plans for multiproduct testing. MicroGeneSys said that it is now able to donate its product for the study of VaxSyn alone because its development partner will pay for it. The trials, to be conducted by the Department of Defense, will evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine as an immune-system booster and will recruit as many as 10,000 HIV-infected persons. Blood Substitute to Cut Disease * New York Times (08/23/93) P. D2 About a half-dozen companies are in aggressive competition for the development of blood substitutes which, unlike human blood, would fail to transmit viruses like AIDS and hepatitis. The companies are competing to capture what is believed to be a $1- billion market. One biotechnology company, Enzon, Inc., received a patent this month for its substitute called PEG- hemoglobin. Made up of bovine blood, the substitute's hemoglobin molecules are chemically attached to the inside of tiny plastic sheaths which hide the foreign nature of the substitute from the human recipient. Dr. Robert G. L. Shorr, Enzon's vice president of research and development, said that the shield converts the hemoglobin into a huge molecule which is more stable and prevents leakage through capillary walls or filtering through the kidneys. Previous trials of the substitute with dogs were successful, and the company hopes to receive permission to conduct human trials in 1994. Harvard's New Test-Tube Business * New York Times (08/22/93) P. F4 Diesenhouse, Susan The Harvard Medical School will soon begin the metamorphosis of an unused high school building into its new Institutes of Medicine. Harvard hopes for a bright future for its new $90- million complex. Research teams from a number of disciplines will work toward medical milestones, including breakthroughs in AIDS, breast cancer, and Alzheimer's. The school may, in fact, fill much of the building with companies who want to convert Harvard science into real health care products. The new building is set for completion in 1996. Woman With AIDS Virus Wins Deportation Reprieve * Reuters (08/20/93) Ottawa--An illegal immigrant carrying the AIDS virus received a temporary reprieve from deportation from Canada after she staged a demonstration outside of the prime minister's office. Clara Palacios, holding her infant and crying, said that her husband and father had disappeared in El Salvador and that her country did not have the medical facilities to treat her for HIV. Palacios arrived in Canada in 1991 and was scheduled for deportation Saturday, but the Immigration Department has opted to review her case. BRF--AIDS Prison * Associated Press (08/23/93) Orlando, Fla.--Florida's penal system will become the first nationally to segregate prisoners in the final stages of AIDS, reported the Miami Herald on Monday. A facility near Orlando is being converted and is scheduled to open next summer. Dr. Charles Matthews, the state prison's head physician, said that the building will have normal security and will make it easier to treat the patients. Florida also hopes to save $1 million each year with the new facility. Last year, it cost the state over $3 million to hospitalize HIV-infected inmates. Infection Control Guidelines Reflect New Technology in Dentistry * AIDS Alert (08/93) Vol. 8, No. 8, P. 118 In response to public fear that dentistry tools transmit HIV, the Federal Center for Disease Control recommend that all heat- tolerated, hand-held equipment be sterilized between uses. Previous infection control guidelines found that surface disinfection of handpieces was adequate. Although nine clusters of Hepatitis B and one cluster of HIV have been identified in dental practices, it has not been shown that transmission through handpieces occurred. There is some evidence, however, that microorganisms in equipment are not destroyed by surface disinfectants. The new guidelines recommend sterilization by pressurized steam, dry heat, or chemical vapor. Gene Therapy Advance * Chemical & Engineering News (08/16/93) Vol. 71, No. 33, P. 3 Dagani, Ron Breakthrough work has been conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where researchers have developed a form of gene therapy that may effect AIDS. The new method uses monoclonal antibodies that, unlike traditional antibodies, work inside the cell. The research team, headed by immunologist Wayne A. Marasco, placed an antibody in HIV-infected cells and demonstrated how the antibody can attach itself to a key HIV protein that is made inside of the cells. The new virus particles that emerge from those cells were pronounced defective; they were less infectious than normal HIV virions, if infectious at all. The institute feels that this discovery has broad ramifications for not only AIDS, but for other infectious diseases and cancer. Epstein-Barr Virus DNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid From Patients With AIDS-Related Primary Lymphoma of the Central Nervous System * Lancet (08/14/93) Vol. 342, No. 8868, P. 398 Cinque, Paola et al. Epstein-Barr virus is often associated with AIDS-related cancers. A team of European researchers took samples of cerebrospinal fluid from 85 HIV-infected patients within six months before death; their goal was to assess whether Epstein- Barr virus DNA could be used in diagnosing tumors. Lymphomas of the central nervous system were found in 17 of the patients, and all 17 showed Epstein-Barr virus DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid. The research team concluded that the presence of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid may indeed be useful as a tumor marker. August 24, 1993 Florida Plans 'AIDS-Care' Facility for Ill Inmates * Washington Post (08/24/93) P. A5 Kidwell, David Civil libertarians are criticizing the Florida prison system, which will become the first in America to provide separate care and facilities for inmates who are terminally ill with AIDS. While the opposition charges that it is merely an excuse to treat AIDS patients like lepers, prison officials claim that the new facility will provide a more comfortable place to die for prisoners and will save money. Since 1987, AIDS has been the top cause of death in Florida prisons and, last year alone, the state spent more than $3 million in private hospital care for inmates infected with the deadly virus. The American Civil Liberties Union, however, says that cost efficiency is not a good enough reason and wants to know why the state is not also segregating patients with other terminal illnesses. Charles Matthews, the system's top doctor, responds by identifying AIDS as a unique disease that requires special attention and expertise that can best be given at a separate facility. The new building, to open next summer, will have normal prison security, but will benefit from the presence of a full-time physician and a dozen other medical professionals. Related Story: Philadelphia Inquirer (08/24) P. A7 AIDS Cited in Death of Rapist * Baltimore Sun (08/24/93) P. 3B James, Michael A recently convicted rapist who allegedly wore a condom during his attack of a Johns Hopkins student died of complications from an AIDS-related illness, said authorities. Calvin Mayo III, 28, was sentenced in February to a life-plus term for the kidnapping, rape, robbery, and extortion of the 27-year-old woman. After being diagnosed with the AIDS virus, Mayo was recently transferred to the University of Maryland Medical Center, where he was receiving treatment. Prison officials said that Mayo's death was caused by organ failure. The Country Music Industry Climbs on the Anti-AIDS Bandwagon * New York Times (08/24/93) P. D18 Elliott, Stuart As major advertisers begin contributing to the battle against AIDS, reinforcements from the ranks of Nashville are prepared to join them. Country artists, record labels and other influential sectors are becoming increasingly involved in the anti-AIDS campaign. One such indication is "Red Hot and Country," a recording scheduled for release in February on behalf of the Red Hot Organization, which distributes money to anti-AIDS programs. The Country Music AIDS Awareness Campaign Nashville has also been created. In January, the organization plans to present a series of public services announcements, on the air and in print, concerning AIDS prevention. At the onset of the AIDS epidemic, most of corporate America and its fortresses of traditional commercialism avoided any affiliation with the virus, due to the stigma attached to it. The anti-AIDS campaign in Nashville helps to promote a socially conscious attitude. CDC's New Director Plans Shift in Focus for Agency * Washington Post (Health) (08/24/93) P. 6 Rovner, Sandy David Satcher, president of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., is the new director of the federal Centers for Disease Control. While recognizing the deadly AIDS virus as a major concern of the agency, Satcher hopes to focus some attention on drug and violence prevention as well. Satcher, 52, joins the CDC at a time of internal unrest, with employee allegations of discrimination and politicized decision making. WHO Calls for Prison Reform to Control HIV * Nation's Health (08/93) Vol. 23, No. 7, P. 20 New guidelines to control the spread of AIDS among the incarcerated are being advocated by the World Health Organization. The recommendations, which include needle exchange programs and distribution of condoms to prisoners, were introduced at the ninth International Conference on AIDS in Berlin. WHO also suggests more attention to prison health services, confidential and voluntary HIV testing, and more control of aggressive sexual behavior in prisons. The guidelines were offered after a WHO survey revealed a significantly greater rate of HIV among the prison population than among the general public. AIDS Trials to Include More Minorities * Nation's Health (08/93) Vol. 23, No. 7, P. 20 In an estimated $3.6 million expansion, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will augment its AIDS Clinical Trials Groups to include a greater portion of minority populations. The groups will branch out to trial units at Howard University in Washington, D.C., the University of Hawaii in Manoa, the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan, and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., all institutions primarily serving minorities. Safety First: An OSHA Primer * Security Management (08/93) Vol. 37, No. 8, P. 36 Kohr, Robert L. and Nobrega, Kathryn In its first regulation specifying biohazards, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a bloodborne pathogens standard, which took effect in March. The new standard pinpoints workers, such as medical and health providers, morticians, lab employees, first-aid responders, and rescue workers, who come in contact with blood or other infectious materials. Some of the procedures outlined include the universal precaution of handling all body fluids as if contaminated, provision of protective equipment like gloves and mouthpieces, decontamination procedures for work areas, and training. The standard also provides for confidential evaluations and counseling after an exposure occurs. Authorities predict that this latest regulation will prevent over 200 deaths and more than 9,000 infections that would have occurred each year as a result of employee exposure to hepatitis B or HIV, which are both transmitted through blood. AIDS Commission Laments Lack of Progress, Leadership * Nation's Health (08/93) Vol. 23, No. 7, P. 10 America's struggle with AIDS in the past few years has garnered little triumph and not enough national leadership, said the National Commission on AIDS. In one of its final reports before disassembling in the fall, the commission asserted that leaders at all levels need to communicate with the public about AIDS. The tragedy is that AIDS is a preventable disease, said the chairperson of the commission, June Osborn, adding that strong, consistent leadership could have had a significant impact on the course of the epidemic. The commission also identified the need for a national plan for confronting AIDS, one that would incorporate a responsive public health system with enough trained personnel to execute the primary functions of public health. Varmus Reassuring for NIH * Nature (08/12/93) Vol. 364, No. 6438, P. 561 In a refreshing change, President Bill Clinton strayed from the standards of his predecessors when he nominated Harold Varmus as the next director of the National Institutes of Health, write the editors of Nature in an editorial from the Aug. 12 issue. The editors assert that Bush, Reagan, and other former presidents tended to treat the NIH leadership like any other partisan political appointment, and nominated individuals to the post according to their political whims. Nature feels that Varmus will surely be confirmed, and will guide NIH spending out of the political sphere and into areas of scientific opportunity. August 25, 1993 AIDS Groups Go Head-to-Head With Whitman-Walker * Washington Post (08/25/93) P. B1 Goldstein, Amy The new Sankofa Community Coalition of HIV/AIDS Services, a union of more than a dozen black and Hispanic AIDS organizations, plans to bid for the $2 million government grant that has been awarded to the Whitman-Walker Clinic for the past several years. The coalition members acknowledge the quality of their rival's services but claim that, because demographical shifts pinpoint close to 70 percent of the D.C. AIDS population as black, their agency is better equipped to dispense care and help to that segment. AIDS is also spreading rapidly among the Hispanic population in the District of Columbia, where the virus is growing faster than in any other major city in the nation. Members of the new coalition also say that minority-run AIDS organizations have not received adequate local and federal subsidies, and that by banding together, they have greater chances of doing so. City officials disagree. Related Story: Washington Times (08/25) P. B1 Five Agencies Will Share AIDS Funds * Philadelphia Inquirer (08/25/93) P. B2 Acker, Carolyn In a news release yesterday, the city of Philadelphia announced that five local agencies would share $237,665 in AIDS prevention and education money funded by the Centers for Disease Control. Three of those organizations are minority-run, and all five serve primarily minority populations; however, the new competitive procedure caused controversy when it failed to fund two of Philadelphia's largest black AIDS organizations. The Rendell administration promised to either cover the loss, or to generate additional funding for BEBASHI (Blacks Educating Blacks About Sexual Health Issues) and the AIDS Community Education Project. Approximately 60 percent of AIDS-infected persons in Philadelphia are black. Russia--AIDS Camp * Associated Press (08/23/93) Korzhov, Maxim Ust-Izhora, Russia--This week at the Center for Preventing and Campaigning Against AIDS, 30 infected children and their families escape from the daily stigma surrounding the disease. In rural hometowns, infected children and their healthy relatives are greeted with ostracism, harassment, fear, ignorance, and hatred from other children as well as adults, including teachers. At this 10-day camp, however, the children enjoy toys, gifts, entertainment, and private hospital rooms while their mothers meet and talk without fear. Many of these women are forced to hide their child's illness from even their own husbands, and often when the father does find out, he is not supportive. Of the 274 children who have AIDS, 60 already have died of the disease, according to the Ministry of Public Health. Doctors say that 95 percent of the children contracted the virus at rural hospitals because, before Russia realized the deadliness of AIDS, syringes were reused dozens of times, admits Yevgeny Voronin, the center's chief physician. Expert Says AIDS Toll Rivals Bubonic Plague * Baltimore Sun (08/24/93) P. 2B Selby, Holly Dr. Michael L. Levin, associate professor at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland medical institutions, was appointed chairman of the Mayor's AIDS Coordinating Council in Baltimore. The organization is comprised of 50 health professionals, activists, and AIDS-infected individuals who coordinate efforts to fulfill the needs of the AIDS community. Levin, who has conducted research and treatment since the epidemic ballooned in the 1980s, predicts that, in the next two years, AIDS will surpass the bubonic plague as the deadliest epidemic in history. To reinforce the anti-AIDS message, Levin insists that the focus must be on informal education through all possible media, and better access to health care for those individuals who do not even have a doctor. Colombian Health Officials Investigate AIDS Blood * United Press International (08/23/93) Bogota--The AIDS-related death of a two-year-old girl who received tainted blood at a private clinic has compelled health officials to investigate how that blood was approved. Further concern stems from the fact that last week another patient, who received blood from the same clinic, was diagnosed with the deadly virus. Directors of the Palermo clinic in Bogota place the blame on the blood bank that serviced them from 1991 to 1992, and pointed out that the clinic itself does not store plasma. Authorities are probing how the blood arrived at the clinic sealed and approved, said a spokesperson for the Health Ministry. Meanwhile, the parents of the little girl, Laura Espinel Real, are preparing to sue the clinic. AIDS Costing Australian Insurers A$10.9 Million a Year * Reuters (08/23/93) Sydney--Insurance claims by HIV-infected persons in Australia are increasing at the rate of nine percent each year and are costing insurers millions of dollars, said insurers. So far, AIDS patients have claimed A$47.1 million (U.S.$31.6) in life insurance and pension, according to the Life Insurance Federation of Australia. Since the epidemic was identified in 1980, there have been 2, 426 AIDS-related deaths in Australia. There are currently as many as 20,000 Australians infected with the virus. Many Transfusions Unnecessary * United Press International (08/24/93) Washington--Close to 40 percent of blood transfusions are not needed, and that number could be lowered with a little extra training for surgeons, reported Harvard Medical School researchers. The team studied almost 1,500 medical records six months before and after surgeons completed a short seminar on when transfusions are necessary. Their results showed a 24 percent decrease in the number of excess transfusions. Although blood banks are tested to prevent AIDS-contaminated blood from spreading, other infections like hepatitis can still be transmitted in the process. Cannabis Research Opens a New Window on the Brain * Reuters (08/20/93) Hirschler, Ben London--Therapeutic benefits for patients with certain illnesses, including AIDS, may eventually result from ongoing research of cannabis. More commonly known as marijuana or hash, cannabis served medicinal purposes throughout ancient history. Now, because of the discovery in pig brains of the chemical anandamide, which is similar to the chemical THC found in cannabis, modern scientists may finally begin to unlock the puzzle surrounding the drug. Understanding how anandamide works may reveal clues in using cannabis to develop drugs that deliver the effects of cannabis without making people high. Researchers say that there is anecdotal evidence that cannabis calms nausea caused by chemotherapy, combats spasms of multiple sclerosis, and stimulates appetite in AIDS patients. Liposome Technology Inc. Receives First Market Approval; Amphocil to be Marketed and Distributed in the United Kingdom * Business Wire (08/23/93) The antifungal market has witnessed significant growth, partially because of the opportunistic fungal infections that plague persons with comprised immune systems, for example, AIDS and cancer chemotherapy patients. Liposome Technology Inc. got a green light from the regulatory body of the United Kingdom to market and distribute a form of an antibiotic widely used to treat such life-threatening infections. Amphocil was approved by the Medicines Control Agency in cases where toxicity or renal failure precludes use of the conventional antibiotic, or in cases where traditional therapy was not successful. LTI signed an agreement with ZENECA Pharmaceuticals to market and distribute the drug in Europe. He Feels in Front by Being Upfront * Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (08/25/93) P. A9 Kowalick, Vince Steve Burdett, a stock-car racer at Saugus Speedway in Los Angeles, has finally admitted to himself that he is homosexual and come to terms with the fact that he is HIV-positive. Burdett discovered his infection in 1991 after a case of shingles and severe fatigue sent him to the doctor's office, where he took an AIDS test. Although he does not have full- blown AIDS, the virus often tires Burdett, who is now "semi- retired." The race car driver says that he wants to win a main event before he dies. August 26, 1993 Lawyer With HIV Sues Former Firm Over Dismissal * Philadelphia Inquirer (08/26/93) P. B2 An HIV-infected attorney is representing himself in a lawsuit against his former Philadelphia firm, which fired him after discovery of his condition. Identifying himself only as John Doe in a suit filed under the Americans With Disabilities Act, the lawyer claims that his work record with Kohn, Nast & Graft was exemplary, but that he became a target of gossip when he became suddenly ill, lost 35 pounds, and was plagued by dry, scaly skin. According to Doe, one of the partners found and copied a letter to Doe from a physician at the AIDS services department of Johns Hopkins University. Doe recalls that he was informed Jan. 13 that he was HIV-positive and, on the same day, was told by that same partner that he would be let go in 1994 because the quality of his work had decreased. Court records indicate that he was actually fired on Mar. 19; the firm cites the reason as discussion of private business matters outside of the firm. AIDS Test * Associated Press (08/25/93) Glenview, Ill.--LifeSource Blood Services, a blood bank in Illinois, will inform 2,000 donors in the Chicago area that they had inconclusive HIV tests. False test results from 1987 to 1992 forced LifeSource, under strict Food and Drug Administration guidelines, to throw away most of the donated blood. Beginning this past April, however, the federal agency permitted the use of the blood if the donors tested HIV- negative more than six months after the initial evaluations. LifeSource, an independent nonprofit corporation, began to notify donors in July. Related Stories: Baltimore Sun (08/26) P. 22A; Washington Post (08/26) P. A6; Washington Times (08/26) P. A6 Around the NBA: Ruling in Magic Case * Washington Post (08/25/93) P. C5 A federal judge in Lansing, Mich., determined what litigation may be sought by the five-year-old child of a woman who claims to have contracted AIDS from Magic Johnson. U.S. Judge Richard A. Enslen ruled that the daughter of Waymer Moore cannot sue for emotional distress because she was not present when her mother had a one-night affair with the basketball legend. Enslen did rule, however, that the child may sue for loss of companionship in the event of her mother's illness, handicap, or death from the virus. Moore filed a lawsuit last fall claiming that Johnson infected her; a court date is scheduled for early 1994. HIV Infection Spreading Fast in Thailand, Study Says * United Press International (08/24/93) Levy, Douglas A. Washington--HIV has spread rapidly in Thailand, particularly in the northern region, despite high rates of condom use, said researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore on Tuesday. The report indicated that 13 percent of the 2,417 men studied tested positive for HIV. Of that figure, almost all of the subjects admitted to sex with prostitutes. Seventy-nine percent of the men who were not infected also reported contact with prostitutes, while 61 percent of all subjects claimed to have worn a condom, and denied homosexuality or drug abuse. The rate of HIV among female prostitutes in Thailand is greater than 40 percent. The report said that the government's distribution of condoms to prostitutes is not adequate prevention; improved diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted disease, increased use of condoms, and reduction or elimination of prostitution is also essential. AIDS Sufferers Acceptable for Swazi Election * Reuters (08/24/93) Mbabane--Swaziland's election officer, Robert Twala, dismissed an appeal for compulsory AIDS testing of political candidates. Opposition candidate Peter Dlamini appealed on the grounds that AIDS-infected candidates might not live long enough to complete a five-year parliamentary term. On Tuesday, Twala disagreed and concluded that illness is a private matter, and that to disqualify candidates with AIDS would be a violation of their rights. Cable-Access Program Tests Limits of Obscenity * Washington Post (08/26/93) P. A3 "Infosex," a cable-access program that aired on an Austin, Texas, television station, has sparked debate over graphic sexual scenes shown in the midnight broadcast. The program, aiming to explore gay life and safe sex issues, showed men performing oral sex and other homosexual acts. The explicit nature of "Infosex" resulted in a grand jury investigation to determine if obscenity laws were broken. John Downing, secretary of Austin Community Television, which aired the two- hour broadcast, and chairman of the University of Texas radio, television, and film department, commented that he hopes the public will understand that the producer of "Infosex" was not making a porno film, but was hoping to warn people about AIDS, and show them how to prevent it. A Manhattan Project by Any Other Name... * Science (08/13/93) Vol. 261, No. 5123, P. 827 Twenty top AIDS researchers, government leaders, and activists who gathered July 30-31 agreed that now is the time for an expanded, more focused approach to the AIDS puzzle. The meeting was held at the University of Wisconsin and adhered to the theme, "Future Directions in AIDS Research: Towards a Cure." Participants at the invitation-only meeting included Anthony Fauci and Robert Gallo of the National Institutes of Health; David Kessler, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration; White House AIDS policy coordinator Kristine Gebbie; and AIDS activist Larry Kramer. While the attendees did not discover a miracle cure, they did come to a consensus about prioritizing and targeting research questions. The statement stressed the need to fill research gaps, expand research beyond that of NIH, improve cooperation between researchers, and spend more money on basic and applied research. Occupational Infectious Disease Exposures in EMS Personnel * Journal of the American Medical Association (08/25/93) Vol. 270, No. 8, P. 914 Reports of occupationally transmitted hepatitis B and HIV compelled the Portland Bureau of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services to implement a program for handling exposures. Data was collected for a two-year period using prehospital care records, verbal and written exposure reports, and statistics; 256 incidents were categorized from these data. While the majority of infectious exposures involved respiratory contact only, fewer numbers resulted from needle pricks, eye splashes, mucous membrane exposures, and intact and non-intact skin contact. The data acknowledges the risk of infectious disease exposure in the prehospital setting and advocates the need for guidelines and programs, as well as hepatitis vaccinations for all prehospital care workers. Rhodococcus Equi Pneumonia and Occult HIV Infection * Lancet (08/21/93) Vol. 342, No. 8869, P. 496 ibanore, Marco et al. Reluctance of older homosexual patients to admit high-risk behavior may cause death without ever being diagnosed as HIV- positive, say Marco Libanore et al. at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology in Italy. Marco Libanore and his colleagues encountered a 71-year-old man with a cavitating mass in the upper lobe, and were unable to determine the cause. The elderly patient denied ever engaging in homosexual acts, but after 10 days of treatment in which his condition deteriorated, he admitted homosexuality. Tests were run, and the man was, in fact, HIV-positive. Erythromycin, rifampicin and ciprofloxacin were administered but, after two weeks, the patient developed progressive respiratory insufficiency and died. Libanore and colleagues warn to consider AIDS when confronted with atypical illnesses. August 27, 1993 Colombian Chemist Seeks AIDS Cure From Vultures * United Press International (08/25/93) Bogota--Colombian scientist Miguel Palencia thinks he may be close to an AIDS cure and wants President Clinton to fund $1 million so that he can continue his research. Palencia told a Colombian magazine, Semana, that a blend of gastric juices from vultures could provide a biological defense against the disease. His belief stems from the fact that the birds do not sicken from eating the spoiled flesh of prey, because some element in their gastric juices destroys or neutralizes the bacteria found in rotten meat, according to Semana. Palencia reported that he was successful in experiments combining the gastric juices with medicinal herbs, but needs financial assistance to complete this stage of research. In addition to the U.S. president, Palencia has also solicited ex-NBA star Magic Johnson, who is infected with HIV. AIDS Lecturer Sued in Massachusetts * United Press International (08/25/93) Chelmsford, Mass.--Three students who felt humiliated by a sexually graphic AIDS-awareness program at their high school have filed suit in U.S. District Court in Boston against the well-known AIDS-awareness lecturer who presented it. The suit alleges that nationally recognized performer Suzi Landolphi shocked and humiliated the teens with her discussion of oral, anal, and vaginal sex. They were also offended by her physical presentations, which included having a student make an "orgasm face," simulating masturbation, and having another student lick a mint-flavored condom. The parents of the plaintiffs claim that their children's civil rights were violated, and that required attendance at the presentation was sexual harassment. Although Landolphi was not available for comment, she has said in the past that her message for safe sex is expressed through honesty, trust, and communication. A spokeswoman said that of her more than 5,000 presentations, this is the first time Landolphi has been sued. Belgian Parents Consider School Boycott Over AIDS Child * Reuters (08/25/93) Pleming, Sue Brussels--The mayor of Bilstain, in eastern Belgium, said that a group of parents there have threatened to withdraw their children from a primary school because a child with HIV has been enrolled. Last week, inhabitants of the hamlet met with health and city officials, who urged the parents not to try to oust the six-year-old boy. In addition, the AIDS Prevention Agency in Brussels released a statement reassuring parents that AIDS is not contractable in daily life and that their children would not be at risk of infection from normal contact with the boy. Agency statistics dictate that, of 79 cases of AIDS in Belgium, 58 patients were under age four. Of 458 HIV-infected persons, 291 were under four years old. AIDS Suit * Associated Press (08/26/93) Testa, Karen Miami--A jury ordered former exotic dancer Lucienne Wheeland, 29, to pay her ex-husband $18 million for failing to inform him that she was infected with HIV. In the country's largest jury award to a plaintiff infected through heterosexual activity, Bruce Wheeland, 29, of Fort Lauderdale was awarded $8 million in compensatory and $10 million in punitive damages, said Marc Sarnoff, his attorney. Most damages are given to persons infected through contaminated blood or homosexual partners. Sarnoff predicted that the decision is going to have a great impact on the general public. Workplace TB * Associated Press (08/26/93) Washington--A coalition of five labor unions petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to establish a safety standard designed to protect health care workers from on-the-job exposure to tuberculosis. The petition also asked for national guidelines to enforce the standard. The Labor Coalition to Fight TB in the Workplace cited growth of poverty, lack of sufficient access to health care, and the AIDS epidemic as reasons for the rising tide of TB cases in the United States. According to the petition, workers in 13 percent of the hospitals surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Hospital Association contracted TB at work. The coalition claims to represent over 1 million employees in the areas of health care, criminal justice, emergency services and social services. Center for Special Immunology Cleared to Provide Immune Reconstitution Therapy to Existing Patients; FDA Approves IND for Limited Chemical Use * PR Newswire (08/26/93) Fort Lauderdale, Fla.--The Center for Special Immunology, a subsidiary of Health Professionals Inc., has received approval of an Investigational New Drug application from the federal Food and Drug Administration. The restricted IND allows the center and its affiliated doctors to continue their AIDS therapy. When traditional therapies are unsuccessful, CSI conducts immune reconstitution therapy for patients who are in the full-blown stages of the disease. Part of the immune reconstitution therapy includes the monthly infusion of certain white blood cells that are deficient in AIDS patients from an HIV-negative donor. These peripheral blood lymphocytes are generally provided by a family member, whose cells match closely to those of the patient. N.H. School Panel Seeks Input on AIDS Policy * Boston Globe (08/26/93) P. 58 Concord, N.H.--New Hampshire schools are required by state law to teach about AIDS, but they do not have to adhere to the Board of Education guidelines. The school system is currently caught in a tug-of-war between those who believe only abstinence from sex should be taught, and those who feel students should be instructed in safe sex procedures. Although the Board emphasizes that to abstain is the only effective method of preventing AIDS infection, it recognizes that children do not always listen to parents' warnings. Consequently, the Board also feels that students should be educated about how they reduce the risk of contracting the disease. In light of that perspective, the Board will consider public comments in the formulation of a new AIDS education policy for the schools. Number of AIDS Carriers Reaches 15,000 in Indonesia * United Press International (08/27/93) Jakarta--Health Minister Suyudi of Indonesia reported that the number of people infected with the AIDS virus is approaching 15,000--a figure 100 times that which the government reported. Official figures dictated that, as of July 31, there were as many as 150 HIV-infected people in 11 of the country's 27 provinces. Of that number, the government said that 36 had developed full-blown AIDS, and that 23 had died since the disease was detected in Indonesia in 1987. Suyudi claimed that, while exact numbers cannot be cited due to problems identifying infected individuals, the actual incidence of AIDS is much greater than what the government reported. The Indonesian government is, however, planning to create a national body of various ministries to coordinate the battle against the disease. It will also solicit the help of pimps, who may be able to influence prostitutes to be wary of AIDS. Health experts blame the onslaught of the virus on changes in cultural and moral values and sexual norms caused by increasing tourism. Hollywood's Take on AIDS * Philadelphia Inquirer (08/26/93) P. E1 Natale, Richard While entertainment with AIDS as the central plot is rare, the films that do exist focus on the personal triumph and tragedy of individuals. Finally, Hollywood is prepared to move on to other, broader aspects of the disease. Viewers will soon be introduced to four new works about AIDS, all approaching issues from different angles. "And the Band Played On" by Randy Shilts is scheduled to air on HBO Sept. 11. This film is described as a "medical mystery," focusing on the chaos of the early years of the epidemic. "Philadelphia," by Jonathan Demme, stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington as a lawyer with full-blown AIDS and the attorney who defends him in a wrongful dismissal suit, respectively. Demme's film presents AIDS as a disease that society treats like leprosy. It is set for release in December. The third film, a French drama called Les Nuits Fauves (Savage Nights), stars and was written and directed by Cyril Collard, who died of AIDS earlier this year. This film discusses the disease candidly, without cliches, according to a French activist. Finally, audiences will be presented with the first AIDS musical, "Zero Patience," by John Greyson. This work deals with issues like the media's attention to dubious medical and other theories about the origin of the virus, as well as questionable treatments. NOTE: Compilation by Michael Tidmus : AIDSwire. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to republish on electronic media for which no fee is charged, provided the complete text of this notice is attached to any republished portion or portions. * From the AIDS Daily Summary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse has made this information available 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 1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD. -----===[[[ A I D S w i r e D I G E S T 08.23.93 ]]]===----- .