AIDS Daily Summary June 13, 1994 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 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD "'Blood Thieves' Move in to Study Virus in Tribe" Washington Times (06/13/94) P. A1; Otis, John A remote tribe of Guaymi Indians in Panama are challenging American scientists and the Commerce Department over blood studies involving HTLV-II, a mysterious virus that is from the same viral family as HIV. Like HIV, HTLV-II is transmitted through sexual contact, intravenous drug use, and breast milk. The infection rate for HTLV-II is only about .01 worldwide, but 10 percent of Guaymis surveyed tested positive for the virus. Thousands of infected Guaymis gave blood samples to local physicians who, with the financial support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, were to study the disease. Some of the samples, however, found the way into the hands of American scientists, who are using the blood to conduct other research. In that other research, the CDC is studying whether HTLV-II can counteract the effects of HIV. If so, it could play a role in the development of an AIDS vaccine, says Dr. Thomas Folks of the CDC. The Guaymi, who claim they did not know the U.S. scientists were experimenting with their blood, have responded by halting what they derisively refer to as "The Vampire Project." "'Passion,' 'Perestroika' Take Top Tony Awards" Washington Post (06/13/94) P. C1 "Angels in America: Perestroika," playwright Tony Kushner's second installment in his epic AIDS play, walked away with honors at the 1994 Tony Awards last night. The epic drama was named best play, while Jeffrey Wright earned the title of best featured actor in a play for his performance in "Perestroika." Stephen Spinella, who won a Tony last year for his performance in "Millennium Approaches," the first half of Kushner's play, renewed the character for "Perestroika," and took the prize for best actor in a play. "Giant Condom Flies Over Brussels" Reuters (06/12/94) A 100-foot-long kite in the form of a condom flew over Brussels on Saturday to mark the beginning of the "Europe against AIDS" campaign. This summer, 20 European countries will distribute condoms to tourists and young people. "TB Underestimated in HIV Wasting" United Press International (06/11/94) HIV wasting syndrome, or slim disease, is caused by tuberculosis more often than previously thought, according to a British study. HIV patients who have wasting syndrome shed much of their body weight, and the condition is especially common in Africa. Researchers examined the bodies of more than 200 HIV patients in the Ivory Coast, and found that nearly half of the 93 patients with wasting syndrome were co-infected with tuberculosis, although TB treatment was not noted on the patients' medical records. The researchers also found that the most severe cases of wasting syndrome were accompanied by the most severe cases of tuberculosis. They concluded that the large volume of TB in the body suggests that it--and not the intestinal parasite and lack of food previously attributed--is probably the cause of the wasting syndrome. Because TB is treatable in its early stages, the findings have major implications for African cities. "AIDS Group Seeks Way Out" Philadelphia Inquirer (06/11/94) P. B1; Collins, Huntly The AIDS Task Force of Philadelphia, the city's oldest AIDS service agency, is considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to deal with its $400,000 debt, said spokesman Mark Blair. Other options include dissolving the nonprofit agency or designing a voluntary plan to pay back creditors, he said. The task force--which provides social services for AIDS patients, conducts HIV testing, presents AIDS education programs, and runs a free food bank for low-income AIDS patients--encountered trouble in February when an outside auditor identified alleged irregularities in the agency's 1992 budget. The auditor's report, and the ensuing criminal investigation, prompted the resignation of the agency's director and several board members. "Most People Living Longer, But Russians Die Younger" Reuters (06/11/94); Shalal-Esa, Andrea While average life expectancy in general is on the upswing across the globe, years are being shaved from the life expectancy of Russians due to widespread pollution, high rates of smoking and alcoholism, and the deterioration of the health care system. According to "Vital Signs 1004: The Trends That Are Shaping Our Future," a new book published by the Worldwatch Institute, AIDS is taking a toll on the life expectancy in Uganda and other African nations, as well as in Thailand and some other Asian countries. One of the authors, Lester Brown, cites a recent study which predicts that AIDS could slash life expectancy in some parts of Africa by as much as 19 years. Since the onset of the AIDS epidemic, almost 22 million people have been infected with HIV and nearly 5 million have progressed to the disease. As many as 1.5 million Ugandans are HIV carriers, and up to 300,000 have developed AIDS. More than 1 million sub-Saharan children have been born with the virus, and several million have been orphaned because of the disease. "Italy Health Minister Rejects AIDS Test Ruling" Reuters (06/10/94) Italian Health Minister Raffaele Costa vowed to fight a ruling by the country's Constitutional Court requiring all health care workers to be tested for HIV. The ruling declared that HIV tests should be regarded as a condition for employment in the health care sector. Costas said the government would scrutinize the decision to be sure that it conformed with European norms, and that he would himself propose legislation requiring testing only for those health care workers whose jobs place them at high risk of disease transmission. "Another HIV Drug" Lancet (05/28/94) Vol. 343, No. 8909, P. 1306; Rowe, Paul M. Stavudine, also known as d4T, is the fourth inhibitor of HIV reverse transcriptase pushing for accelerated Food and Drug Administration approval. Despite the fact that little is known about the nucleoside analogue's specific indications, interactions with other drugs, or effects in segments other than young white males, an advisory committee in May was supportive of a recommendation for approval. The drug has been tested on 10,000 subjects, 79 percent of whom are still alive after 18 months. Another trial compared d4T with zidovudine, and found d4T to be significantly better at increasing or maintaining CD4 cell levels and decreasing HIV antigen levels. "HIV-1 Transmission" Advocate (05/31/94) No. 657, P. 32 AZT-resistant HIV can be spread sexually, but only with relatively low frequency, according to a recent article. Only one donor-recipient of five was found to be infected with the resistant strain. All donors received AZT, but none of the recipients received the drug. The authors' explanation was that the resistant strains were deleted from the patients' immune systems by natural selection during or just after transmission.