From ny000570@mail.nyser.net Thu Nov 11 15:01:52 1993 AIDS Daily Summary November 10, 1993 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 1993, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD "Blood Tests Urged for GIs in Germany" Washington Post (11/10/93) P. A29 (Vogel, Steve) In response to widening panic caused by Germany's snowballing HIV-screening scandal, U.S. military officials in the country are now recommending that all American soldiers and members of their families who have received blood transfusions from German hospitals in the past 15 years seek AIDS testing. Officials said it is likely that hundreds of American service members received transfusions, although they believe the actual number put at risk is probably minimal. "We do not want to minimize the risk of infection," said Maj. Gen. Vernon Chong, European command surgeon. The U.S. military in Germany has its own blood collection and processing services, which are licensed by the Food and Drug Administration and certified by the American Association of Blood Banks. Sometimes, however, Americans are referred to German hospitals for medical treatment. The military has requested that its blood banks review records as far back as 1985 to determine if any plasma was purchased from UB Plasma, the Koblenz-based firm at the center of the HIV scandal and, if so, for what purposes. "H.I.V. Found in Blood Seized in Germany" New York Times (11/10/93) P. A7 German investigators have confirmed the presence of HIV infection in two batches of blood seized from UB Plasma, the firm around which the country's negligent screening scandal is revolving. Prosecutor Norbert Weise said scientists had checked only 2,000 of 25,000 confiscated batches of blood when they discovered the two cases of infection. UB Plasma is suspected of, for more than a decade, failing to properly screen blood products, which were supplied to more than 80 hospitals. This revelation unleashed widespread concern among millions of people in Germany, who fear they may have been infected with the AIDS virus during routine operations. German health officials and the German Red Cross have urged residents not to worry. They insist that the proportion of blood products processed by UB Plasma is small, and the probability of anyone being infected is tiny. "Second German Company in AIDS Scare" Financial Times (Great Britain) (11/10/93) P. 2 (Genillard, Ariane) As Germany's largest medical scandal continues to mushroom, a second German company has been implicated. Blood products from Haemoplas, in Lower Saxony, have been recalled from 64 hospitals under suspicions that they were not regularly tested and may be tainted with the AIDS virus. All hospitals and medical centers in the country using the products have been ordered to return them to local authorities. Meanwhile, investigations of the first blood products firm to be implicated, UB Plasma, yielded confirmation of two instances of HIV infection in blood samples seized from that company. The scare has prompted tens of thousands of concerned Germans to swamp hospitals and medical centers with calls asking advice or seeking AIDS testing. "Many Fear Mouth-To-Mouth Resuscitation, Survey Finds" United Press International (11/09/93) Atlanta--According to a University of Arizona survey, many people are refusing to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) due to an unwarranted fear that they could contract a disease. The study found that 45 percent of the 975 respondents would not perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation because they would not want to breathe into another person's mouth. Seven percent of the sample recalled being in a situation where CPR was needed, but admitted that they failed to act. "It's a fear without any substantial basis and it is very tragic, if not disappointing, that such a fear has evolved, because I believe numerous lives are being lost because of it," said Dr. Nisha Chandra of Francis Scott Key Medical Center in Baltimore, Md. Chandra said that although "AIDS has been out there for 10-plus years, and we have been actively resuscitating thousands and thousands of patients during this time period," no case of CPR-related HIV transmission has ever been documented. "Fund-Raiser Will Pay $3,000 Under Agreement With Attorney General" PR Newswire (11/09/93) Harrisburg, Pa.--The operators of a Philadelphia business have agreed to pay $3,000 to settle allegations that they violated the state's Charities Act while raising money purportedly to be donated for AIDS research. According to Attorney General Ernie Preate Jr., the agreement prohibits Jerrald B. Silverman and Stanley Snyder, the operators of Lectra Products Co., from conducting fund-raising activities in Pennsylvania for the next decade. Lectra apparently placed canisters in thousands of stores last summer, supposedly to solicit money to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR). The agreement, "an assurance of voluntary compliance," contends that the business violated the Charities Act by failing to register with the Department of State before soliciting funds, failing to obtain required contractual permission from AmFAR, and neglecting to submit to the state a written contract with AmFAR. Silverman and Snyder did not admit to wrongdoing, but agreed to pay $500 in penalties and fines and $500 in investigation costs to the state, as well as $2,000 to be distributed by the office of the Attorney General to a charity "whose stated charitable purpose is consistent with the representations made to contributors." Investigators, although uncertain of the exact amount of money raised by Lectra, believes that funds solicited were less than $2,000. "Disease Detection International, Inc., Signs Exclusive Distribution Agreement for Seven-Minute AIDS Test for Argentina" PR Newswire (11/09/93) Irvine, Calif.--Disease Detection International, Inc. (DDI) of California has signed a three-year deal with Miami's Bio-Diagnostica, Inc. for the exclusive sale and distribution of the company's SeroCard HIV tests in Argentina. DDI's CEO, H. Thad Morris, expressed his confidence in Bio-Diagnostica as an "experienced marketer of numerous medical products and equipment," and projected that his company expects to ship more than 1,500,000 tests for sale in Argentina. DDI has already received 40,000 of the tests, and plans to begin shipments in 1994. Tony Blanco, DDI's director of distribution for South America, commented that "the use of the SeroCard HIV-1 test is ideal in medical settings where the availability of sophisticated instrumentation and trained personnel is limited." The rapid, whole blood test has a seven-minute format that requires no instrumentation to obtain an accurate test result, and has proven to be 99 percent accurate. The device is smaller than a credit card, which allows for significant savings in the screenings of individuals by using a single drop of blood from a finger prick, as opposed to more complex and expensive procedures. "Symposium on Clinical Care of the AIDS Patient to Be Hosted by UC San Francisco" Business Wire (11/09/93) San Francisco--The University of California at San Francisco will host a three-day symposium, Dec. 13-15, for practicing doctors on the clinical care of AIDS patients. The conference will focus on practical issues in managing care for all stages of HIV disease. Topics to be addressed include guidelines and initial workup for the patient, neurological complications due to HIV, bacterial infections, antiretroviral therapy, gender-specific issues, terminally ill patients, and pediatric AIDS. The symposium will also include workshops on health care worker exposures and infections, HIV nursing, and HIV education and prevention, among others. The program will be led by UCSF faculty who are leaders in research and patient care, and their colleagues from around the globe. It is designed for practicing physicians, internists, infectious disease specialists, and other primary care physicians. "So as Not to Forget Those Lost to AIDS" Philadelphia Inquirer (11/08/93) P. B3 (Yaskin, Joesph) A statue of two men arm-in-arm stands upon a wooden base with rows of brass nameplates mounted upon it--Bill Cole's backyard memorial to the friends and acquaintances who have been lost to AIDS. Although the memorial is tucked away behind his house, Cole, a retired math teacher, has brought the disease to the forefront of his former profession. Cole first got involved in AIDS education in 1987 when he discovered that he had HIV. When his companion of more than a decade died of AIDS in 1989, Cole made the work his life mission and, in 1991, retired from teaching to dedicate himself on a full-time basis. His message to teachers--and everyone else--is simple and clear. "We all need to talk honestly about AIDS, including in the classroom," he says. "Then we can replace the stigma with compassion." Cole also urges teachers to do whatever is possible to help students achieve self-esteem, because "peer pressure is a very powerful force, and a sense of self-esteem makes a kid less likely to give in to dangerous behavior." For his work in educating other teachers about AIDS at schools and conferences in South Jersey and elsewhere, Cole was last year presented one of 14 national "Pathfinder" awards, an honor bestowed by a consortium of national organizations led by Congress and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "When AIDS Strikes Parents" Time (11/01/93) Vol. 142, No. 18, P. 76 (Gorman, Christine) The problem of children who have lost one or both parents to the AIDS virus is becoming all too common in the United States. Statistics indicate that some 30,000 youngsters have seen their mothers or fathers, or both, die in the epidemic. By the year 2000, that figure is expected to at least triple. Because the majority of AIDS mothers are single parents, there often is no father to fill the void following the mother's death. Many women will move from large cities back to their hometowns, where relatives can take in the children. Often, however, stigma associated with AIDS may prevent families from caring for these kids, leaving perhaps half of all AIDS orphans either on the streets or in the overflowing foster care system. While the death of a parent is always traumatic, the pain is even more profound when the cause of death is AIDS. These kids feel isolated in their shame, and with no outlet for the rage and grief, they often get into trouble at school, or with the law. Teens often engage in casual sex and intravenous drugs, in defiance of the virus. In response, many community organizations are trying to avoid future tragedy by initiating support groups for children who are orphaned, or soon-to-be orphaned because of AIDS, and social and health agencies are attempting to reach more parents with AIDS before they die so that their children can be better prepared. "AIDS Deaths Shift From Hospitals to Home" American Journal of Public Health (10/93) Vol. 83, No. 10, P. 1433 (Kelly, Janet J. et al.) As part of the AIDS Mortality Project initiated by the Centers for Disease Control in 1989, researchers monitored trends in place of death of AIDS patients as measures of health care usage and terminal health care of HIV-infected persons. Sixteen health departments gathered death certificates for some 55,186 individuals with AIDS who died throughout 1991. Place of death was categorized as hospital, home, hospice or nursing facility, or other. Analysis of the data showed that the number of AIDS deaths in hospitals dropped significantly from 92 percent in 1983 to 57 percent in 1991. Hospital deaths were more frequent--91 percent--in the Northeast region of the country, while deaths at home were more common--27 percent--in the West. The study concluded that AIDS deaths at home or in hospices have increased since 1983, and that these trends may reflect changes in hospital use for the final stages of AIDS disease. Decreasing hospitalization, while increasing outpatient services and home care, will lower costs and may allow HIV-infected individuals an improved social support system. "News Wire: California" Advocate (11/02/93) No. 641, P. 20 The California AIDS office spends too much money on AIDS education efforts targeting heterosexuals, and not enough money on campaigns aimed at homosexual men, said a study released Sept. 18 by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. "Brief Report: Fatal Seronegative Ehrlichiosis in a Patient With HIV Infection" New England Journal of Medicine (10/14/93) Vol. 329, No. 16, P. 1164 (Paddock, Christopher D. et al.) Paddock et al. reported an HIV-positive woman with a fatal case of ehrlichial infection. Ehrlichia chaffeensis is a bacterium that causes febrile illness associated with cytopenia. It was only recently identified in the Western Hemisphere in 1986 and, although about 300 cases have been reported, none have been diagnosed in persons with HIV. The significance of this case, say Paddock et al., is that the initial manifestations of ehrlichial infection copied the clinical characteristics of other opportunistic infections more common to AIDS patients. The 41-year-old woman displayed symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of pneumocystis cariini pneumonia, and with pancytopenia associated with zidovudine treatment. When treatments for these infections were unsuccessful, further investigations focused on types of fungal, bacterial, and viral organisms that often affect AIDS patients. Although E. chaffeensis is treatable with tetracycline and was eventually detected, it was not done soon enough to alter treatment, and the patient died. Intact T cell function is an important host defense against diseases like E. chaffeensis that fall into the Rickettsiacae family. Paddock et al. suggest that, due to the rapid and severe progression of the infection in their patient, the infection should be added to the list of potentially life-threatening opportunistic infections in people with HIV. The AIDS Daily Summary will not publish on Thursday, November 11, 1993, in observance of Veterans Day. Publication will resume on Friday, November 12, 1993. ------- End of Forwarded Message