From root@aspensys.com  Wed Jun 21 13:51:02 1995
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 17:05:06 +0500

           CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
                       HIV/AIDS PREVENTION
           CDC NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE TRAINING BULLETIN
.................................................................
May 30, 1995                                                #142

This is the answer from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) to a question submitted by the CDC National AIDS
Hotline concerning the risk of contracting HIV from organ
transplants.

1.   Recently several callers have inquired about the risk of
     contracting HIV from transplanted organs.  At present the
     only information we have is a brief paragraph on organ,
     bone, and tissue transplants from 1993.  It reads as
     follows:  "Each of these has been implicated in at least one
     case of HIV transmission.  Since the testing of organ donors
     has been established, we do not expect to see many more
     cases such as these.  People concerned about their risk
     should be encouraged to talk with their doctors."  We are
     wondering if there is any new or additional information that
     we should include in a discussion of this issue.

     The exact risk of HIV-1 transmission from a seronegative
     organ or tissue donor is unknown, but probably very small.
     In most of the reports of transmission of HIV from tissue or
     organs, transplantation was performed before 1985, when
     screening of blood, organ, and tissue donors for HIV-1
     antibody became routine.  Three cases occurred after 1985.
     More than 60,000 organs and 1 million tissue allografts have
     been transplanted in the United States since routine donor
     screening for antibody to HIV-1 was instituted in 1985.

     (Reference:  RJ Simonds, Holmberg SD, Hurwitz RL, et al.
     Transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 from a
     seronegative organ and tissue donor.  N Engl J Med
     1992;326:726-32.)


Disclaimer:  CDC Hotline Training Bulletins

The information in the "CDC Hotline Training Bulletins" is
provided by CDC and NIH for use by the CDC National AIDS Hotline
in responding to general questions from the public about HIV and
AIDS.  The bulletins are not intended to be comprehensive
discussions of the subject areas.  Treatment and drug therapy
options change as new research and clinical experiences broaden
scientific knowledge.  Therefore, persons seeking information on
drug therapy should refer to the product information sheet
included in all drug packages for the most current and accurate
information about a particular drug, especially if the drug is
new or infrequently used.  HIV-infected individuals should
consult their personal physician for specific concerns about
their health.  For persons desiring more information on a
specific topic, public, medical, and university libraries can
provide excellent references.  The AIDS Clinical Trials
Information Service (800-874-2572) can provide information about
ongoing HIV/AIDS clinical trials; the HIV/AIDS Treatment
Information Service (800-448-0440) can assist with information
about the latest treatments for persons with HIV infection or
AIDS.