-----===[[[ A I D S w i r e D I G E S T 09.13.93 ]]]===-----


AIDS Killing Prisoners *
Washington Post (09/13/93) P. A6

Of 1,863 inmate deaths nationwide in 1991, 528 were attributable
to AIDS, according to a study by the Justice Department. New
Jersey and New York had the highest incidence of such deaths,
with two-thirds of prisoner deaths caused by AIDS. Research
specialists speculate that the deaths caused by the disease in
both states were due to widespread intravenous drug injection,
reports the study. All but 15 of the inmates who died of AIDS
were men.


California Legislature Passes Needle Exchange Bill *
Reuters (09/11/93)

Sacramento, Calif.--In an effort to curb the spread of AIDS, the
California state Senate Friday voted 21-16 in favor of a plan to
implement a needle exchange program for drug addicts. The state
Assembly had already passed the bill, which now moves on to Gov.
Pete Wilson, who previously vetoed two similar measures. The
program would allow doctors and pharmacists to distribute clean
hypodermic needles and syringes to IV-drug users in exchange for
dirty ones. If approved, the program would pilot in San
Francisco, which already has an informal needle exchange, and
would allow other cities to follow suit. Opponents insist that
such a program undermines the authorities' battle against drug
addiction.


An Update on Book for Women *
Philadelphia Inquirer (09/13/93) P. B1
Vrazo, Fawn

A book known as the bible of women's health, which first appeared
in 1970 and still has printings of over 3 million, has been
updated to include the latest issues concerning women. "Our
Bodies, Ourselves" changed the way women viewed themselves
physically and politically. It has been adapted for the 1990s,
and now includes health topics such as AIDS and Norplant.


Doctor Stresses Prevention Despite Search for Cure *
Reuters (09/10/93)
Wilson, Christopher

Cambridge, Mass.--Preventative programs to stop the spread of
AIDS must be escalated and will have to continue even after a
cure for the disease is found, said Dr. Luc Montagnier, the
doctor who discovered the virus. "Even if we find ... a vaccine,
it is likely to be very expensive and we will therefore have to
devise a strategy for dealing with AIDS in developing countries
in the Third World as well as in developed nations," Montagnier
explained at a global conference on technology at Harvard
University. He said that the devastation brought by the disease
has propelled him to create the World Foundation for AIDS
Research and Prevention, a privately-funded group of three
research centers that will apply philanthropic money to new
avenues of research. According to the World Health Organization,
there are about 14 million people worldwide who are HIV-infected;
75 percent are in sub-Saharan Africa.



Communicating With Parents *
Focus (08/93) Vol. 8, No. 9, P. 7

Regular condom use is effective in reducing the risk of HIV in
couples in which one partner is HIV-positive and the other is
negative, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease
Control. In that study, none of 123 discordant couples who
consistently used condoms reported transmission of HIV. In a
study of 122 couples who used condoms inconsistently, however, 12
transmissions of HIV were reported. Some researchers say that a
condom is not necessary if both partners are HIV-positive and
there is no risk of sexually-transmitted disease, but most
experts caution against the possibility of re-infection by a
different strain of the virus.


Drug Trial Changes Should Open Doors for HIV-Positive Women *
AIDS Alert (09/93) Vol. 8, No. 9, P. 1

In response to pressure from women's health organizations such
as the HIV Law Project, the Food and Drug Administration has
dropped barriers excluding women of childbearing age from
participation in early clinical trials. The 1977 guidelines, now
viewed by the FDA as "rigid and paternalistic," prohibited these
women from Phase I and Phase II studies. They could, however,
contribute to late Phase II and Phase III trials, but only after
safety had been assessed through earlier trials. FDA chief
David Kessler reported that the ban on female participation was
no longer valid because women's enrollment has scientific value
and women ethically have the right to decide to participate, and
because protocols can be designed to reduce the risk of fetal
exposure. AIDS drug trials have generally been less restrictive
because women are not restricted from studies of life-threatening
diseases; however, most information on AIDS treatment stems from
studies of white, homosexual males.


Cosalane Halts HIV Infection *
Science News (09/04/93) Vol. 144, No. 10, P. 153
Lipkin, Richard

After a potential AIDS treatment successfully stopped the AIDS
virus in test tubes but proved too toxic for human subjects,
researchers sought less harmful variations of the chemical. Mark
S. Cushman, a medicinal chemist at Purdue University, and his
colleagues report that the most potent of the 70 or so compounds
tested so far is promising. The new chemical, cosalane, prevents
HIV infection by stopping the binding and postbinding process in
which a virus protein (gp120) attaches itself to immune cells.
Cushman reports that cosalane is active against a number of HIV
strains, including those that have demonstrated resistance
against AZT. In addition, cosalane shows little toxicity to
uninfected cells. Cushman and researchers at the National Cancer
Institute plan to produce large quantities of the chemical for
preclinical testing.


Medical Briefs *
Advocate (09/21/93) No. 638, P. 35

When studies in Germany of an anti-HIV drug showed no indication
that it has any impact against HIV, and registered some evidence
of toxicity, Hoffman-La Roche Inc. suspended development of the
TAT-inhibitor. Researchers do not, however, feel that they
should dismiss the possibilities of TAT-inhibitors simply because
one drug did not work as they hoped.


September 14, 1993


U.S. Panel Backs Plan to Culture Armies of Immune Cells *
New York Times (09/14/93) P. C3

A National Institute of Health panel of experts voted unanimously
to approve an experiment that would infuse virus-killing cells
into 15 AIDS patients. The NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory
Committee approved the technique, which proposes to remove CD8
anti-viral cells from patients, culture the cells into vast
numbers, and inject the cells back into the patients. Dr.
Phillip D. Greenberg, one of the researchers involved, said that
the goal is to boost the immune system. The committee, which
evaluates proposed human experiments using altered genes, also
approved another gene therapy experiment that targets AIDS. Drs.
Flossie Wong-Staal, Eric Poeschla, and David Looney of the
University of California at San Diego have proposed to experiment
with a technique that would remove from AIDS patients a few CD4
cells, primary targets of HIV, and splice a molecule called
hairpin ribozyme into them. The ribozyme can slice up the RNA
that HIV uses to reproduce itself, and it is hoped that if enough
CD4 cells are altered with the ribozyme, the virus will be unable
to reproduce. The doctors believe that their technique may lower
the level of infection in AIDS patients.


Hungarians' AIDS Risk Rises as Economy Slows *
New York Times (09/14/93) P. A4
Perlez, Jane

As unemployment skyrockets and the economy slows in Hungary and
other Eastern European countries, the threat of AIDS in these
once isolated nations is increasing, say doctors. Hungarian
medical authorities report that only 350 people in the population
of 10 million are HIV-infected, and only 131 have AIDS. Doctors
believe that while infection in Eastern Europe is low, the
numbers are actually much higher than official figures. They say
that the possibility of a dramatic rise in HIV infection is
great, due to lack of awareness and a disregard for condoms as
prevention. Perhaps the largest indicator of AIDS risk in
Hungary is the increase in prostitution. The complacent attitude
of prostitutes, who often do not use condoms because they feel
that they are not at risk, paired with higher drug use, has
officials at the World Health Organization worried. Dr. Michael
Merson, director of WHO's AIDS program, cautioned Eastern
European health officials that if they wait for visible signs of
an AIDS epidemic, they will have waited too long to change the
course of the epidemic.


AIDS Called Leading Killer of Young Men *
Toronto Globe and Mail (Canada) (09/13/93) P. A4
Wilson, Deborah

AIDS stunts the lives of young men in Vancouver, British
Columbia, more than any other cause of death, according to a
recent study. The results indicated that the potential for years
of life lost to the disease is 40 percent higher in British
Columbia than in the rest of Canada. The study also concluded
that, while AIDS cases were fewer in number than heart disease
and cancer cases or accidents, the virus far outranked those in
terms of its impact on life expectancy. Furthermore, reported
the study, those with AIDS tend to be much younger. In the wake
of a widespread myth that the threat of AIDS is exaggerated, the
authors of the study hope that their findings will place the
disease and its impact in the proper perspective.


Alpha 1 Biomedicals Announces Manufacturing Agreement
for Thymosin Alpha 1 *
PR Newswire (09/13/93)

Bethesda, Md.--Alpha 1 Biomedicals, Inc. has announced a
manufacturing agreement with UCB Bioproducts, S.A. for the
production of bulk Thymosin alpha 1, the pharmaceutical company's
lead drug. Approved in Italy as an adjuvant for influenza
vaccine in those undergoing renal dialysis, and in Singapore as a
treatment for chronic hepatitis B, Thymosin alpha 1 is currently
in U.S. clinical trials as a potential treatment for AIDS.


Research Gaining Support for Vaginal Microbicide *
AIDS Alert (09/93) Vol. 8, No. 9, P. 134

With the increasing threat of AIDS to women, and the limitations
of prevention methods, research for a vaginal microbicide that
could prevent the spread of HIV is assuming priority among
research issues. The microbicide, or virucide, would be applied
intravaginally like a spermicide, and would stop transmission of
HIV as well as other sexually transmitted diseases. Because it
would inactivate infection in both ejaculates and cervical
secretions, a microbicide would protect both sexes from HIV
infection. The growing focus on microbicides highlights the fact
that heterosexual transmission accounts for 90 percent of AIDS
cases worldwide, and that women are currently being infected at a
rate three times that of men.


Counseling for HIV-Infected Adolescents *
Focus (08/93) Vol. 8, No. 9, P. 1
Elliot, Alan S.

When treating adolescents with HIV, therapists must consider two
particular issues: the level of understanding and rapport, says
Dr. Alan S. Elliot, a senior psychologist at NYU-Bellevue
Hospital Center. According to Elliot, who is also Clinical
Instructor of Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, adolescents
do not have the cognitive maturity level to accept that they have
HIV when they don't have symptoms. This attitude compromises
efforts by clinicians to motivate behavioral change because the
patient denies that there is a problem. Missed appointments,
inconsistent consumption of medicine, and periods of acute
anxiety are the result, Elliot explains. Therapists must
establish a rapport with patients in order for therapy to
succeed. With young people who have AIDS, however, counselors
often represent authority figures who force them to discuss
something hateful and scary. Clinicians must be sensitive to the
particular needs of these patients by helping them to verbalize
feelings, separate myth from fact, discuss the possibility of
death, and explore the consequences of planned actions, says
Elliot.


New AIDS Case Definition Impacting Women, Drug Users *
AIDS Alert (09/93) Vol. 8, No. 9, P. 132

A study to determine the effect of the new AIDS case definition
indicates that over half of patients who qualify are
asymptomatic, the majority of them females and intravenous drug
users. The new definition was introduced this year in response
to concerns that patients with advanced HIV were ailing, yet
ineligible for medical and social services. The definition was
consequently expanded to include CD4 counts lower than 200,
pulmonary tuberculosis, recurrent pneumonia, and cervical cancer.
The new definition seems to have little impact on medical
treatment or social services, but does have some psychological
effect, says Dr. John Bartlett, a co-author of the study.
Patients that fall under the new definition are diagnosed with
AIDS, but are often asymptomatic and not in immediate
life-threatening danger from the disease.


Women and AIDS: Brief Overview *
AIDS Alert (09/93) Vol. 8, No. 9, P. 131

A July report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reported that new cases of AIDS in 1992 rose 9.8
percent among women, compared to 2.5 percent among men. The
report also indicates that, for the first time, more women were
infected through sexual contact than through IV drug use. The
disease appears most explosive among young black women, who
account for 19,544 of the 36,690 cases of AIDS reported through
June 1993. Statistics indicate that the virus is the third
leading cause of mortality in young minority women, ranking below
only heart disease and cancer. While women are the second wave
of the epidemic, new figures suggest that the next wave will
occur among teenagers, particularly girls.


Inefficacy of Cytarabine in Progressive Multifocal
Leucoencephalopathy in AIDS *
Lancet (09/04/93) Vol. 342, No. 8871, P. 622
de Truchis, Pierre et al.

Progressive Multifocal Leucoencephalopathy (PML) is an
opportunistic infection of the central nervous system that has
been detected in as many as four percent of AIDS patients.
Partial recovery has been documented as spontaneous, or as being
related to zidovudine treatment, but a few case studies suggested
the efficacy of cytarabine. To investigate this possibility, de
Truchis et al. from Hopital Raymond Poincare in France treated
eight AIDS patients with PML. Six of the eight patients
demonstrated no sustained improvement. Treatment of the other
two patients was discontinued because of other medical
complications. The research team concluded that cytarabine has
little benefit in AIDS patients with PML.


September 15, 1993


Merck Drops Final Bid to Develop Drug for AIDS
in Face of Viral Resistance *
Wall Street Journal (09/15/93) P. B6
Waldholz, Michael

Merck & Co., a pharmaceutical company, has abandoned its last
attempts to develop an AIDS drug that once showed great promise.
Known as L661, the drug works by blocking reverse transcriptase,
which is crucial to viral replication. Late in 1991, however,
the company determined that L661 causes the AIDS virus to mutate
into a resistant strain within weeks after being administered to
patients. Since then, Merck has tried to improve the drug by
combining it with AZT, but found the viral resistance too
significant. Meanwhile, a dozen other drug companies are
scrambling to discover new types of AIDS medicines.


AIDS--Workplace *
Associated Press (09/15/93)
Likens, Terri

Chicago--In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control's
campaign to motivate corporate America into a more active role in
the prevention and treatment of AIDS, about 50 business
executives and health officials met Tuesday to discuss methods of
coping with the disease in the workplace. White House AIDS
policy coordinator Kristine Gebbie urged companies to design AIDS
policies that address such issues as insurance, confidentiality
on health care and sick leave, and health education. Fred
Kroger, director of the CDC's AIDS information program, said that
the agency is trying to convince businesses that becoming
involved in AIDS education would not only be humane, but may
eventually save money.


WHO to Asia: Have the Political Will to Fight AIDS *
United Press International (09/15/93)

Manila--In a resolution adopted at its yearly regional meeting,
the World Health Organization urged Asian countries to recognize
the seriousness of the AIDS epidemic, and warned that its own
resources to fight the virus are shrinking. According to
predictions, Asia will have the highest HIV infection rate in the
world within the next five years. WHO stated that many Asian
nations continue to view the disease as a homosexual one, but
prodded the governments to "have the political will" to attack
widespread social problems that contribute to the spread of AIDS,
including prostitution and drug use. WHO's 1994-1995 AIDS budget
has been cut down to $173.8 million, but officials at the agency
expect to receive only about $140 million.


AIDS Virus Transmission By Heterosexuals Rising *
Reuters (09/14/93)

Manila, Philippines--While global transmission of the AIDS virus
in homosexuals has increased 65 percent, there has been a
dramatic rise of 210 percent so far this year in the number of
heterosexual transmissions, reports the World Health
Organization. A WHO statement declared that the pandemic is
worsening. It also predicted that, by the year 2000,
approximately 30 million to 40 million people worldwide will have
been infected with HIV. According to the agency, 90 percent of
the AIDS transmissions will occur in developing countries,
primarily via heterosexual sex.


California's Largest AIDS Fundraiser to Take Place Sept. 19 *
PR Newswire (09/14/93)

Los Angeles--The largest AIDS fundraiser in California, AIDS Walk
Los Angeles, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 19. The ninth
annual 10-kilometer walk is expected to be completed by over
1,700 participants. The event benefits AIDS Project Los Angeles,
which provides support services to people with HIV or AIDS and
presents prevention programs to the general public. Funds raised
by the walk support APLA programs such as legal services,
housing, transportation, public policy efforts, education
seminars, hospital visitation, and an HIV/AIDS hotline, among
others.


International AIDS Memorial Quilt to Be Displayed
in West Hollywood Oct. 8-10 *
Business Wire (09/14/93)

West Hollywood, Calif.--The city of West Hollywood will present a
display of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, which
memorializes hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who have
died of AIDS. The display, "People Do Care," will showcase 1,488
of the 24,000 panels that make up the entire quilt. With each
panel handmade as a tribute to loved ones, the quilt is an
international symbol of love, hope, and loss. Visitors to the
display, which is scheduled for Oct. 8-10, can contribute to a
fund that benefits people with AIDS. Proceeds will go to the
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, among other organizations.

"Controversial New AIDS Film Points to Important Lessons Learned"
PR Newswire (09/14/93)
 New York--The new film about AIDS, "And the Band Played On,"
spotlights the early failure of government and blood industry
executives to protect the safety of the nation's blood supply--a
tragic mistake that resulted in HIV infection of almost 70
percent of all hemophiliacs. More than a decade after the virus
was detected in those with the genetic blood disorder, the impact
is still forceful, as each day another hemophiliac dies of AIDS.
The death toll has now reached 2,000. Furthermore, many families
must struggle with the financial burden of treating the
hemophilia, a cost of $100,000 to $300,000 a year, as well as
treating the HIV or AIDS, an additional cost of $10,000 to
$50,000 annually. Alan Brownstein, the executive director of the
National Hemophilia Foundation, said that the government and
blood industry must share the responsibility to preserve the
safety of the blood supply so that a similar tragedy does not
occur again.


Blood Bank Judgment Over HIV-Tainted Blood Dropped *
American Medical News (09/13/93) Vol. 36, No. 34, P. 37

The Nevada Supreme Court overturned a $505,000 judgment against a
Reno-based blood bank that gave a man a transfusion of
HIV-contaminated blood in 1984. A year later, the donor at
United Blood Services who had previously donated blood given to
Jeffrey Clark tested HIV-positive. Nineteen months later, Clark
was notified of the possibility of infection. Clark tested
positive, developed full-blown AIDS, and died in 1991 at the age
of 31. The decision was reversed because the high court said
that Clark's survivors were not able to prove that the blood
bank's procedures fell below the established professional
standards at the time. The court also pointed out that Clark
received the transfusion almost a year before the first test to
screen for HIV became available.


Psychosocial Problems and Risk Behavior *
Focus (08/93) Vol. 8, No. 9, P. 8
Walter, H.J.; Vaughan R.D.; Cohall, A.T.

High school students with multiple psychosocial problems are
susceptible to HIV infection because they practice high-risk
behavior, reported a study of more than 1,000 tenth graders
living in or near New York City. The data indicated that 3
percent of the sample participated in high-risk behavior, while
25 percent engaged in higher-risk behavior, especially that of a
sexual nature. More than two-thirds of the sample who were
sexually active used condoms inconsistently, or didn't use them
at all. Five percent had sex with higher-risk partners, and
one-third had sex with two or more partners. Involvement with
sexual and non-sexual high-risk behavior was associated with
adverse living conditions, such as economic hardship, crime, lack
of parental support, and family problems. Another factor was
high self-esteem, which researchers have correlated with the
predisposition of boys to have sex at an earlier age.


September 16, 1993


AIDS Drug Halves Risk of Common Infection *
Baltimore Sun (09/16/93) P. 14A

AIDS patients who consistently take the drug rifabutin may reduce
their chances of developing a particular infection by 50 percent,
according to a new study. Mycobacterium avlum complex,
characterized by fever, weight loss, diarrhea, and anemia, among
other problems, is an illness common to those with AIDS. It
reportedly cuts life expectancy in such patients by about six
months. In two tests of 1,146 volunteers, researchers discovered
that the infection developed in 8.4 percent of patients given
rifabutin, compared to 17 percent of those receiving a placebo.
Based on these findings, the U.S. Public Health Service is
recommending that all AIDS patients with a CD4 count lower than
100 take the drug.


HemaCare Receives Conditional Approval to Test Immupath
in Phase III Clinical Trial *
Business Wire (09/15/93)

Los Angeles--After a review of the company's Phase I and II
clinical trials of Immupath, a potential AIDS treatment, HemaCare
Corp. has received approval from the California Department of
Health Services to proceed with Phase III testing. The drug is
used in passive hyperimmune therapy, a process in which donated
human plasma rich in HIV-antibodies is infused into AIDS
patients, whose own bodies no longer have sufficient antibodies
to fight the virus alone. Phases I and II demonstrated that
Immupath improved immune competence and increased survival in
some patient groups. HemaCare plans to treat about 600 patients
to study long-term efficacy and safety in the Phase III trials.


Benetton Uses AIDS Again to Advertise Its Clothes *
Reuters (09/15/93)
Waddington, Richard

Milan, Italy--Italian fashion firm Benetton SpA has launched its
latest controversial ads, which feature AIDS-related wording
stamped on various naked body parts. One ad is the image of a
bare arm with the writing "HIV Positive" on it. The other two,
which are sexually suggestive, show a bare behind and a lower
abdomen, also with written allusions to the deadly virus. A
spokesperson said that the photographs will be used to promote
the fall and winter sportswear line. Benetton insists that the
shock advertising is intended to attract attention to the way
people with AIDS are ostracized by society. Critics, however,
accuse the clothing company of exploiting the pain of others as a
sales pitch. The company has had previous ads banned as
offensive, including spots featuring a blood-covered newborn,
multi-colored condoms, and a nun and priest kissing.


Bristol-Myers Squibb's MEGACE Oral Suspension Approved for the
Treatment of Significant Weight Loss Due to AIDS *
PR Newswire (09/15/93)

Princeton, N.J.--Bristol-Myers Squibb has received approval from
the Food and Drug Administration to market MEGACE (megestrol
acetate) Oral Suspension, a synthetic derivative of progesterone
that will be used to treat AIDS patients experiencing extreme
weight loss. Significant weight loss is defined as a loss of
more than 10 percent of the ideal body weight, and often occurs
in people with advanced AIDS. While other substances have been
shown to stimulate appetite, MEGACE Oral Suspension is the first
drug to enhance lean body weight and muscle mass, according to
Dr. Jamie Von Roenn, lead investigator of one of the MEGACE
clinical trials.


AIDS Registry May Have Received Death Blow *
Toronto Globe and Mail (Canada) (09/15/93) P. A7
Mickleburgh, Rod

The core of the Canadian federal government's AIDS strategy may
be grounded before it even gets the opportunity to take off. A
year after winning the bid to implement and operate a
multimillion-dollar AIDS data registry for patients and doctors,
a Montreal consortium has withdrawn from the project. The AIDS
Treatment Information System, first announced in June 1990 by
former health minister Perrin Beatty, was designed to provide a
computerized, centralized registry of the latest information on
treatment of AIDS and HIV to people countrywide. The project has
been plagued with problems from the start, and the latest blow
now has officials and AIDS groups discussing the fate of the
registry.


Car Crashes, Homicides Lead Cause of Youth Death *
Reuters (09/15/93)
Frank, Jacqueline

Washington--Car crashes are the number one cause of mortality for
people under age 24, followed by homicide, said the government in
its annual report on American health. Based on data through
1992, the report listed the deadly AIDS virus as the 8th leading
cause of U.S. deaths. AIDS has moved up from 10th place, where
it stood five years ago, according to Health and Human Services
Secretary Donna Shalala, who said that the epidemic is on the
rise in women and children.


Conocurvone: New Anti-HIV Chemical From Australian "Smoke Bush" *
AIDS Treatment News (09/03/93) No. 182, P. 1
James, John S.

The U.S. National Cancer Institute is calling for proposals by
drug companies to develop a new anti-HIV chemical called
conocurvone, which is found in the "smoke bush" plant. NCI first
collected the plant, which grows only in Western Australia, in
1981 and screened it for anti-cancer agents. Researchers found
that the plant was not useful for cancer, and the remaining
sample was eventually studied for anti-HIV activity. In lab
tests, the chemical proved effective in stopping the virus from
killing cells. Synthetic and semi-synthetic versions also seemed
to work, as did one relative of conocurvone. Furthermore, the
chemical did not appear to be toxic at the level necessary for
effective anti-HIV action. While researchers conclude that
conocurvone does not inhibit reverse transcriptase or protease,
they are unsure of what exactly is the chemical's mechanism of
action against HIV.


Participants Needed for HIV Acute Infection Study *
American Medical News (09/13/93) Vol. 36, No. 34, P. 4
Staver, Sari

The question of whether intervention just after HIV transmission
can disturb viral dissemination and alter the course of disease
progression is a serious one in AIDS research, but it may not be
answered any time soon if a $6 million study continues to flail.
The National Institutes of Health trial, launched eight months
ago, aims to evaluate an early 24-week regimen of AZT therapy.
Eighty participants are needed at five sites nationwide; three
have enrolled. Boston dropped the study due to lack of physician
interest, and San Francisco, an AIDS epicenter, has not recruited
a single researcher. If enrollment does not improve, the trial
may be discontinued. Researchers say this would obstruct a
valuable line of inquiry. The theory behind the study is that
interrupted viral dissemination may influence outcome, and that
most immune system changes and viral replications take place
during the first two to 12 weeks after transmission.


Leuconostoc Citreum Isolated From Lung in AIDS Patient *
Lancet (09/04/93) Vol. 342, No. 8871, P. 622
Giacometti, A and Ranaldi, R, et al.

Giraud and colleagues report a fatal case of leuconostoc
infection in a bone marrow transplant recipient. Their case
stresses the importance of recognizing organisms that may be
opportunistic pathogens, which endanger the health of those who
have immune system disorders. Giacometti et al. isolated such
gram-positive cocci from the lung of an AIDS patient who died of
respiratory failure. The team was unable to identify how
leuconostoc infection is detected in humans. The clinical
significance of the infection is difficult to determine; however,
the researchers assert that such organisms should be suspected
when an immunocomprimised patient's condition worsens despite the
appropriate therapy.


September 17, 1993


TB Surge Blamed on Increase in AIDS *
Washington Times (09/17/93) P. A6

Fueled by the continuing rise of the AIDS epidemic, a resurgence
in tuberculosis resulted in 1.5 percent more TB cases during
1992, report the Centers for Disease Control. A total of 26,673
cases of TB, the largest figure since 1981, were reported to the
CDC last year. For most of the century, tuberculosis declined at
a steady rate; however, the number of cases began to rise every
year starting in 1985. Health experts blame the surge on the
increasing number of people who are vulnerable to the disease
because they have AIDS, as well as on immigration from countries
where AIDS is endemic. The largest increases have occurred in
people aged 25 to 44, who are the most susceptible to the AIDS
virus, and among Hispanics and Asians. Related Stories: New York
Times (09/17) P. A13; Baltimore Sun (09/17) P. 19A


AIDS Liability Suits *
Wall Street Journal (09/17/93) P. B3

Hemophiliacs who were infected by the AIDS virus via
blood-clotting product Factor VIII have made some recent advances
in the courtroom. Now, because it will be difficult to prove
which company made the product used by a specific plaintiff, the
hemophiliacs want a panel of judges to consolidate liability
suits against the four manufacturers. Hundreds of lawsuits have
been filed, claiming that the companies knew that hepatitis and
other viruses had tainted the blood used to make Factor VIII, but
failed to purify the blood through heat treatment or other
methods. The four manufacturers, however, contend that they did
not realize until 1984 that AIDS was transmitted through blood,
and immediately produced a heat-purification process at that
time. Plaintiffs say the technology was available in the 1970s.
Approximately 10,000 hemophiliacs have died as a result of
AIDS-contaminated Factor VIII.


AIDS Test Sought for Dr. Solomon *
Baltimore Sun (09/17/93) P. 1B
Siegel, Eric

Several former patients of Baltimore physician Dr. Neil Solomon
allege sexual improprieties and are attempting to compel the
high-profile doctor to undergo AIDS testing. A trio of women who
are suing Dr. Solomon filed a motion in circuit court,
accompanied by affidavits of three other women who also claim
abuse but are not plaintiffs in the case. The motion contends
that Dr. Solomon has had unprotected sex with multiple partners
over a period of several years, and cites the women's desire to
assess the likelihood that they were infected by any sexually
transmitted disease by the doctor. Dr. Solomon, who has been
considered a gubernatorial bid in 1994, dismissed the accusations
as "outrageous."


Canada to Aid Recipients of HIV-Tainted Blood *
Reuters (09/15/93)

Edmonton, Alberta--Health ministers of the Canadian provinces and
territories have asked the Canadian Blood Agency to administer,
on their behalf, a new $100 million program to aid people who
contracted HIV through contaminated blood. A total of 954
Canadians became infected in the 1980s before tests to screen for
the virus were mandated. The new plan will give $15,300 to each
individual directly infected, or to the surviving spouse, as soon
as the plan is registered. After the initial payment,
HIV-infected persons will receive $22,900 each year for a total
of $92,000 in aid. The program will also pay $15,300 a year for
four years to surviving spouses, as well as $3,000 a year for
four years to each surviving child.


Bad-Blood Probe Needed, Collins Says *
Toronto Globe and Mail (Canada) (09/16/93) P. A4
Mickleburgh, Rod

Canada's federal health minister, Mary Collins, wants a
full-scale judicial inquiry to examine how and why so many people
were infected with the AIDS virus before mandatory testing of
blood donations began in 1985. Collins said she will urge
provincial and territorial health ministers to agree to such a
probe, but will order an inquiry on a unilateral level even if
they do not. She would prefer to have a single person conduct
the inquiry so that the government may be as far removed as
possible. The probe, with the authority to subpoena witnesses
and documents, would not be a witch hunt, Collins said, but a
measure to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again.


National Institutes of Health Will Sponsor Dosing and Efficacy
HIV/AIDS Trial Using VIMRx Pharmaceuticals' Oral Hypericin *
Business Wire (09/15/93)

Stamford, Conn.--The National Institutes of Health will sponsor
human clinical trials of the drug VIMRxyn, an anti-viral compound
that is under investigation by VIMRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. as an
AIDS therapy. A previous human trial demonstrated the systemic
safety of administering VIMRxyn intravenously, but the new trials
will utilize a liquid formulation of the drug. The trials,
slated to begin before the end of the year, are designed to
determine a safe and tolerable oral dosage or the drug, and to
measure its effectiveness against HIV/AIDS. Two of the country's
top virologists, Drs. Fred Valentine and Clyde Crumpacker, will
spearhead the trial, which will be conducted at three AIDS
Clinical Trial Group-affiliated hospitals.


French AIDS Group Sues Benetton Over Posters *
Reuters (09/16/93)

Paris--The French Association for the Fight Against AIDS said it
has sued Italian sportswear company Benetton over
recently-released advertisements featuring naked body parts
stamped with the words "HIV Positive." The group said that the
photographs, which debuted in the Paris underground this week,
symbolize the Nazi practice of tattooing concentration camp
prisoners, and add to the stigmatization of people with AIDS. In
a civil complaint against the clothier, the association demanded
that the firm remove the posters, and that it pay damages. The
action was filed under a French law against exploiting the
illness and suffering of others for commercial gain.


Report Says Prisons Need More AIDS Staff *
Boston Globe (09/16/93) P. 35

A Massachusetts task force formed by Public Safety Secretary
Thomas C. Rapone is calling for more AIDS staff in state prisons
to work with inmates who are infected with the disease. The task
force of state and individual health officials is recommending
more case managers, counselors, nutritionists, bilingual staff,
and a discharge planner. Other recommendations include more
training for physicians, stronger emphasis on the health-care
needs of female inmates, and permission for prisoners to use
experimental HIV drugs in clinical trials. According to state
figures, about 8 percent of the inmate population is believed to
be HIV-infected, and about 300 prisoners have been diagnosed with
AIDS.


Powerful, Noteworthy Episode of 'In the Heat of the Night'
to Air, Sept. 23 *
PR Newswire (09/15/93)

"In the Heat of the Night," an award-winning police drama series,
will incorporate in a new episode the real-life issue concerning
legal responsibilities of AIDS-infected individuals. The
episode, which airs Thursday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. on CBS, centers
around a young lady who has a one-night stand with a local
businessman, and consequently becomes infected with HIV. When
the woman charges the man with her own murder, conflicts arise
over whether or not she has legal grounds for litigation. The
episode parallels similar dramas in the real world, as the debate
rages over how to handle HIV-infected individuals who knowingly
spread the fatal disease.



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.

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