NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/sci/med/aids/2179

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Subject: CDC Summary 12/31/92
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                       AIDS Daily Summary
                        December 31, 1992
 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.  Copyright 1992, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD

 "New HHS Report Faults AIDS Researcher" Washington Post (12/31/92), P.
A4  (Gladwell, Malcolm)
     Federal AIDS researcher Robert C. Gallo has been charged with
"scientific misconduct" by the Department of Health and Human  Services
in connection with one sentence he wrote in a scholarly  paper published
eight years ago.  The report produced by the HHS' Office of Research
Integrity (ORI) reverses one conclusion of an  investigation by the
National Institutes of Health, which earlier this year had vindicated
Gallo--co-discoverer of HIV--of all  allegations of fraud after a two-
year investigation.  The new  report also revealed that Gallo's co-
worker at the National  Cancer Institute, Mikulas Popovic, had
demonstrated misconduct in connection with a series of errors and
alleged misstatements in  the same paper.  The report recommends that
increased supervision be given to requests for federal funds from either
researcher for a period of three years.  Among the instances of
misconduct cited by the ORI, none questions the conclusions of the 1984
paper  written by Gallo and Popovic.  Nor do the findings invalidate the
claim of the Gallo laboratory to have been the first to prove  that HIV
is the cause of AIDS and the first to show how HIV could be grown in
large enough quantities to make production of an HIV  blood test
possible.  The ORI report states that, in some cases,  Popovic was
sloppy or misleading in his description of how he  conducted the
research.  The report charges that a sentence  written by Gallo about a
French sample of HIV--known as  "LAV"--failed to acknowledge that his
laboratory had grown that  strain, which had been supplied by French
researchers with whom  Gallo's lab exchanged material.   Related
Stories: New York Times (12/31) P. A1; Wall Street Journal (12/31/) P.
A3; Baltimore Sun (12/31) P. 16A; Philadelphia Inquirer (12/31) P. A3

"In Emptiness, Hope" Washington Post (12/31/92), P. D.C. 1  (Ashley,
Jane)
     A vacant building in Washington, D.C., may become the largest  AIDS
facility in the area.  The vacant building is being proposed as an
apartment house for people with full-blown AIDS who can  still live
independently.  It would provide a home to 24 AIDS  patients and their
families.  The facility was proposed by a  consortium of 63 District
agencies that provide AIDS services,  formed two years ago to help
distribute federal AIDS relief funds into District programs.  The
building would not have medical or  counseling services, but case
workers would make regular visits  and help residents get the services
they need.  Keith Fabre,  deputy administrator for housing for the
consortium, said  residents would have subsidized rental housing and a
support  network of people with the same or similar problems.  But the
plan still faces two obstacles.  The first is obtaining a  $1.75-million
grant from the Department of Housing and Urban  Development, which would
pay for the renovations and subsidize  the rents.  The second hurdle the
AIDS Care consortium might face is resistance from residents and civic
leaders.  Chris Bates, the consortium's administrator, said the group is
committed to  notifying the neighbors of the proposed plan.  "When you
go into  a community and put in this kind of facility, we cannot have a
dialogue with community leaders without telling them where it's  going
to be."  Reactions over the proposed facility by nearby  neighbors have
so far been mixed.

"Settlement Is Reached in Case of a Worker Fired for Having HIV"
Philadelphia Inquirer (12/31/92), P. B3  (Kaufman, Marc)
     An out-of-court settlement was reached between the owners of a
Bucks County, Pa., dairy bar and their former manager, who sued  them
for job discrimination after being fired because he was  HIV-positive.
The terms of the settlement between Karen and  Raymond Goodnoe of the
Goodnoe Farms Dairy Bar of Newtown and the fired employee, Bruce Casini,
were not revealed.  However, Casini said yesterday at a Center City news
conference that he was very  happy with the outcome.  He said, "I
believed then and I believe  now that discrimination against people with
HIV and AIDS cannot  go unchallenged.  It is against the law to fire
someone because  they have HIV or AIDS, and it is wrong."  After Casini
told his  employer, Karen W. Goodnoe, that he tested positive for HIV
five  years ago, she subsequently fired him.  Casini filed suit in
conjunction with the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania in 1990,  after
failing to resolve the case before the state Human  Relations
Commission.  The settlement was reached on Monday, the  day the trial
was to start.  The Goodnoes have argued that  Casini's condition could
have endangered the health of their  customers.  Also, their attorney
argued that state law forbids  restaurants from employing anyone with an
infectious disease.   Yet Casini's lawyers said yesterday that the law
clearly states  that it is illegal to fire someone from their job
because he or  she has HIV or AIDS.  Casini sought back wages,
attorney's fees,  and money he could have earned if he had continued to
work for  the Goodnoes.

"Agencies, Advocates Brace for New Definition of AIDS" Philadelphia
Inquirer (12/31/92), P. B2  (Coleman, Joseph)
     The more accurate definition of AIDS that will take effect
tomorrow will provide up-to-date statistics on the spread of the
disease and will increase demand for AIDS services in  Pennsylvania,
according to officials.  The new nationwide  definition will increase
the number of new AIDS cases reported  each year in Pennsylvania by
about 30 percent to approximately  2,000, the state Health Department
said.  The total number of  AIDS cases reported in Pennsylvania since
the beginning of the  epidemic reached 6,963 as of Dec. 1.  The state
total does not  include people infected with HIV.  However, Bobby Jones,
director of epidemiology at the agency's Bureau of HIV-AIDS, said there
are about 50,000 HIV-positive Pennsylvanians, based on national
predictions.  The new definition will add more recently infected
residents, said Jones, giving officials and AIDS service groups  updated
information on the disease's progress.  The new  definition will not
significantly increase the number of people  who qualify for core
government entitlement programs, which have  their own criteria for
delivering benefits, Jones said.

"Wellcome Cites Success of Drug in AIDS Study" Wall Street Journal
(12/31/92), P. B2
     Wellcome PLC announced that a study comparing AZT to didanosine
(ddI) found AZT to be more popular.  Wellcome provided AZT, which it
markets under the brand name Retrovir, at no charge to the  U.S.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which conducted
the study.  The spokesman for Wellcome said AZT proved  superior to ddI,
made by Bristol-Myers Squibb as a first  treatment for advanced-HIV
patients.  The study also concluded  that patients who began AZT
treatment and switched to ddI after  eight to 10 weeks had more chances
of survival than those  patients who only took AZT.  Researchers believe
this finding  will increase the speed toward combination therapy for
AIDS  patients.  The scientists divided the patients into three groups.
Some took 500 milligrams a day of AZT, others took 500 milligrams of
ddI, and the third group took 750 milligrams of ddI.  Only 4  percent of
those on AZT died within a year, while 9 percent of  those receiving 750
milligrams of ddI and 10 percent of those  receiving 500 milligrams of
ddI died during that time.

"New AIDS Definition Will Increase Indiana Cases by 200" United Press
International (12/30/92)
     Indianapolis--The new federal AIDS surveillance definition will
have only a slight impact on the state of Indiana, the State  Department
of Health said Wednesday.  Officials said they predict about 200
additional HIV-positive people to be included in the  AIDS registry,
which most recently contained 1,734 names.  The  HIV-positive list had
2,056.  A recent study said AIDS cases  among HIV-positive women and IV-
drug users are expected to  increase nationally by 50 to 75 percent
after the new definition  is implemented Friday, Jan. 1.  But Ann Kurth
of the State  Department of Health said Indiana won't experience such
growth.   She said rates of HIV infection among women and IV-drug users
have increased, but most of Indiana's cases are still among  homosexual
men.

"Federal AIDS Cuts 'Stupid': Health Chief" United Press International
(12/30/92)
     Indianapolis--The federal move to cut funds used for AIDS
prevention is short-sighted and "stupid," according to Indiana  State
Health Commissioner John C. Bailey.  He said the federal  reduction of
$14.7 million in programs for education and  prevention of AIDS could
result in thousands of Indiana residents becoming needlessly infected
with HIV.  The cuts signify a loss  of $242,000 for Indiana, he said--a
16 percent cut in funds to  groups that educate about HIV and AIDS.
Dennis L. Stover,  director of the AIDS division of the State Health
Department,  said Indiana officials have known about the cuts for about
two  weeks and have made plans to adjust.  He said he hopes to restore
about $100,000 by diverting money from other accounts within the
department.  One organization that will be hit hard is the  Indiana
Community AIDS Action Network, which uses volunteers and  state grants
to provide education in about 30 communities.  Donna Dodson, executive
director of the network, said the federal cuts  eliminated the $108,000
the network had requested from the state.

"Holidays and the Bad Tidings of H.I.V." New York Times (12/31/92), P.
A20  (Schmalz, Jeffrey)
     Disclosing one's AIDS-status is difficult in itself, but becomes a
particular challenge around the holiday season.  Among the  emotional
horrors that AIDS carries--the terror of death, the  financial fears,
the guilt--perhaps the worst is breaking the  news friends and family.
Telling people can be a tragic  experience, forcing a reliving of the
moment of receiving the  diagnosis and conjuring up the fate of death.
Laura Pinsky, a  co-author of "The Essential HIV Treatment Fact Book"
and a  psychotherapist in New York who counsels those with HIV
infection, said group-therapy sessions were often dominated by
confusion over how to tell parents and friends.  She said,  "Everyone
wants their parents to be proud of them, to live  through them.  It's
very conflicting.  People want their family  around when they're sick."
According to therapists, most people  feel relieved once they disclose
their infected status.  Most  often, they do not do it at work for fear
of losing their jobs.   However, at least with their families and
friends, they can be  free from hiding their tiredness, their
medication, and  exhaustion of living a lie.

"Japan's First Condom Shop Flourishes Amid Concern About AIDS" United
Press International (12/28/92)  (Kenny, Peter)
     Tokyo--A condom shop that attempted to open in Tokyo last year
received strong opposition from landlords.  However, after AIDS
awareness in the region grew, the shop was finally allowed to  open in
the trendy Harajuku neighborhood.  After only one month  of operation in
a country where public mention of condoms still  embarrasses people, the
shop is doing a booming business.   Shoichi Ryuki opened the store,
called Peaches, which features  200 varieties of condoms and has become
a favorite spot to  release inhibitions and learn about HIV prevention.
Japan is in  severe need of AIDS education programs.  The number of new
AIDS  cases and HIV-positive people in 1992 surpassed 400, according to
the Health and Welfare Ministry's AIDS Surveillance Committee,  more
than double the number in the first 10 months of 1991.  The  new AIDS
cases have increased the official number of AIDS and HIV patients in
Japan to 977.  A recent poll demonstrated that 50  percent of
respondents believed HIV could be transmitted by a  mosquito bite, and
26 percent said the infection could be  contracted through casual
contact.  Ryuki said that some of the  girls he talked to said even if
they asked their boyfriends to  use condoms they refused.  He added,
"Then it occurred to me to  sell fancy, humorous condoms which make boys
feel at least like  trying."  At Peaches, more than 70 percent of
Ryuki's customers  are women with 200 to 300 visiting the shop each day.
Also, the  sales of fancy condoms at the shop increased from 25 percent
of  the total to 50 percent.

"Review Demanded on Canadian Blood" Science (12/18/92) Vol. 258, No.
5090, P. 1878   (Holden, Constance)
     A public inquiry has been requested into why some 1,000 Canadians
(730 of them hemophiliacs) contracted HIV from tainted blood and blood
products in the past decade.  Canada's blood supply is currently deemed
one of the safest in the world, but critics like the Canadian Hemophilia
Society claim that health officials moved too slowly in implementing
both HIV screening programs and  procedures to treat blood products used
by hemophiliacs.  While  the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved
an HIV screening  procedure in March 1985 and put it into effect almost
immediately, the Canadian Red Cross took eight months to  establish a
nationwide screening program.  During that time, 50  Canadians became
infected with HIV from contaminated blood  transfusions.  Also, the
government recommended in November 1984  that all products used by
hemophiliacs be heat-treated to destroy HIV, but it took eight months to
fully institute that program,  during which time untreated products
continued to be used.  The  delays were partially blamed on the
bureaucracy of the Canadian  Blood Committee and the Red Cross' fear
that speaking of AIDS  would scare off potential donors.  Last year, the
committee was  finally replaced by what the government promises will be
a  faster-acting body, the Canadian Blood Agency.  However, critics
believe that move does not go far enough.  Therefore, a  government
committee is considering a full scale investigation  into the Canadian
blood management system.  Health officials are  opposing the idea,
insisting that there was no negligence.

 *  The AIDS Daily Summary will not publish Friday, Jan. 1, 1993 due to
observance of the holiday.  Have a safe and happy new year!