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1995-01-17
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AIDS Daily Summary
January 17, 1995
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 1995, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD
************************************************************
"For Magic, a Vow to Defy AIDS"
"A Man Once Called 'King Kong' Is Now in the Grip of Disease"
"Benetton to Fight Mutiny over Ads in German Court"
"Wellcome's Stock Falls 2.1% in Wake of FDA Panels' Rebuff of
Herpes Drug"
"Health Journal: How to Put Hyped Study Results Under a
Microscope"
"Vatican Firing of Bishop Shows Church Divisions"
"Mandatory Anonymous HIV Surveillance in Denmark: The First
Results of a New System"
"Horizontal Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus"
"Coming Clean"
"Clinic Opens Office of Latino Services"
************************************************************
"For Magic, a Vow to Defy AIDS"
Philadelphia Inquirer (01/17/95) P. D1; Bamberger, Michael
Since his announcement in November 1991 that he had tested
HIV-positive, Earvin "Magic" Johnson has been attempting to defy
medical law. Johnson's doctors are baffled because he does not
look or act like a man with the fatal disease. He has gained 25
pounds of muscle since his retirement from the National
Basketball Association. "I'm in the best physical shape of my
life. I feel great," he says. Despite his magnetic persona,
Johnson has kept a low profile on AIDS issues since leaving
former President Bush's commission on AIDS prevention. He has,
however, worked to bring scientists and doctors together and
educate people through that effort. "There's nobody who has
raised as much money for HIV-AIDS as I have, and I'm proud of
that," Johnson concludes.
"A Man Once Called 'King Kong' Is Now in the Grip of Disease"
Philadelphia Inquirer (01/17/95) P. D1; Bamberger, Michael
Former World Series player Glenn Burke, at age 42, is in the grip
of AIDS. His feet are swollen and covered with purple lesions
and his teeth are small yellow triangles, worn down to nubs by
relentless nocturnal nervousness. Formerly 220 pounds, he now
weighs 150. Although his major league career never lived up to
the promise he showed in the minor leagues, he has left his mark
in another way. "They can't ever say now that a gay man can't
play in the majors, because I'm a gay man and I made it," says
Burke. He is the only major-leaguer to ever openly acknowledge
his homosexuality. In 1982, two years after he retired, he said
that while an injury was the surface reason he retired at age 27,
homophobia was the underlying reason. He said that two of his
managers, Tommy Lasorda and the late Billy Martin were prejudiced
against gays, and as a result he was never given a real chance to
show his skills. Burke is now confined to one room in his
sister's apartment that is filled with love and the candor that
accompanies impending death.
"Benetton to Fight Mutiny over Ads in German Court"
Wall Street Journal (01/17/95) P. B6; Steinmetz, Greg
Benetton Group SpA is in a legal battle with many of its German
storeowners, who complain that the Italian knitwear and clothing
group's controversial advertisements have hurt sales. When they
first appeared two years ago, the ads--such as one showing a man
dying of AIDS--prompted an outcry from some European countries.
Both youth groups and the Protestant Church in Germany called for
boycotts. German merchants claim that the controversy has
reduced sales by as much as 30 percent, and have refused to pay
Benetton for the merchandise. Benetton has sued each of the
storeowners for payment. Benetton officials maintain the claims
are groundless and say that German retailers in general have had
sales decline in recent years as the result of weak consumer
sales. Benetton says the ads have been beneficial for business
and that the ad campaign has won awards in France. Benetton's
unit sales rose 12.7 percent last year.
"Wellcome's Stock Falls 2.1% in Wake of FDA Panels' Rebuff of
Herpes Drug"
Wall Street Journal (01/16/95) P. B6C; Moore, Stephen D.
The decision of two advisory panels to the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) not to recommend approval of a
nonprescription version of Wellcome PLC's Zovirax caused the
company's shares to fall 2.1 percent on Friday. Market analysts
warned that uncertainty about the fate of nonprescription Zovirax
and increased concerns about the company's lackluster new-drug
pipeline could cause further weakness. Zovirax, a treatment for
genital herpes, accounts for about one-third of Wellcome's annual
sales. Development of a nonprescription version of the drug is
thought to be one way to persuade more patients to treat genital
herpes; currently only about 10 percent of the people who have it
seek medical treatment. The FDA committees, however, were
concerned with issues of widespread underdosing and
self-diagnosis. While the panels' decision is not binding, the
FDA usually follows the experts' advice.
"Health Journal: How to Put Hyped Study Results Under a
Microscope"
Wall Street Journal (01/16/95) P. B1; Chase, Marilyn
As new study results are announced every week, it can be
difficult to distinguish hyped up results from significant
findings. "Be skeptical of everything," says AIDS activist
Spencer Cox, who investigates medical claims. Questions to ask
include whether the trial was large enough to make it
significant, whether the therapeutic effect of a drug was
substantial compared to conventional treatment, and whether the
test was fair. Two of the most egregious examples of results
being inflated in AIDS were the Triple-Drug Combination and
Compound Q, according to Cox. "People were screaming that it was
the cure." Neither, however, has proven its worth as a
treatment. The late Rock Hudson's trip to France for the French
AIDS drug HPA 23 inspired a wave of imitators. Paul Volberding,
an AIDS researcher at the University of California at San
Francisco, remembers "all the people that raced to France and
came back in stretchers" and whose conditions were unchanged by
the drug.
"Vatican Firing of Bishop Shows Church Divisions"
Reuters (01/15/95); Arieff, Irwin
The Vatican's firing of an outspoken liberal bishop has sparked
controversy across France and revealed deep divisions within the
Catholic Church. Many of the Church's top officials in France
have expressed dismay at the removal of Monsignor Jacques
Gaillot, bishop of Evreux in Normandy since 1982. On Sunday,
groups of faithful gathered outside their churches in protest.
Gaillot, dubbed "The Red Cleric" for his fearless public stands
on controversial church issues, once said that condoms were the
best way of fighting AIDS. He also spoke in favor of an
abortion-inducing pill. Other stands Gaillot has taken include
arguing for the ordination of married men and urging tolerance of
homosexuals--both in contrast to the tightening of traditional
Roman Catholic doctrine which has marked the reign of Pope John
Paul II. In response to escalating public criticism from
theologians, the Vatican has been cracking down on outspoken
dissidents. Gaillot will celebrate his final mass in Evreux next
Sunday.
"Mandatory Anonymous HIV Surveillance in Denmark: The First
Results of a New System"
American Journal of Public Health (12/94) Vol. 84, No. 12, P.
1929; Smith, Else; Rix, Bo A.; Melbye, Mads
HIV surveillance was recently improved in Denmark by the
introduction of an anonymous mandatory HIV-reporting system for
all individuals testing HIV-positive. The system requires that
all laboratories performing confirmatory HIV tests send a report
form along with any positive results. The physician is then
mandated by law to fill in the form with data on the patient and
to keep two copies for his own files before sending the originals
to the national surveillance unit. After a revision was made to
facilitate reporting, the surveillance unit obtained a 95 percent
response rate. The HIV surveillance system permits routine
evaluation of the completeness of reporting and reminds
nonresponding doctors of their obligation to report. Although
the system does not necessarily reflect the actual spread of HIV
because persons tested years ago may be included, it has also
proven useful for public health authorities in guiding
information campaigns.
"Horizontal Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus"
Lancet (01/07/95) Vol. 345, No. 8941, P. 27; Van Damme, Pierre;
Cramm, Myrjam; Van Der Auwera, Jean-Claude et al
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Belgium for hepatitis B
virus (HBV) markers among the relatives of institutionalized
mentally handicapped persons to evaluate the prevalence of
hepatitis B and the risk of infection. The researchers found
that the relatives of an HBV positive resident were almost 8
times more likely to be infected than the relatives of an HBV
seronegative mentally handicapped person. HBV infection in 83
percent of the family members could be attributed to exposure to
an HBV positive resident. The findings illustrate the importance
of horizontal transmission among relatives of institutionalized
mentally handicapped people, even when family contact is reduced.
The researchers recommend that HBV vaccination policy should be
augmented to include the relatives of institutionalized mentally
handicapped people.
"Coming Clean"
Advocate (01/24/95) No. 672/673, P. 79; Wieder, Judy
Billie Joe Armstrong, the front man and the main songwriter for
the punk group Green Day, insists that taking Pansy Division, a
gay-in-your-face punk group, on tour with Green Day was not just
a gimmick to shock fans. Green Day has done two albums for
Lookout Records, the same label that Pansy Division is on. The
two bands also share a commitment to what they call personal
politics. "I think that Pansy Division is the kind of band that
saves people's lives," says Armstrong. "They're catchy, and
they're really educational. They're honest about their sexuality
and that saves lives." Armstrong, who says "I think I've always
been bisexual," though he's never had a relationship with another
man, admits that the rock world is still full of prejudice
against gays and AIDS. He wonders if he dares approach the
subject in his songwriting. "I'm not really educated enough to
write about AIDS, but I could certainly write about losing
someone who's close to me," he said. "I'm more the type of
person who would write about how ignorant and stupid people are
about something like AIDS." Armstrong has an openly gay uncle
who has full-blown AIDS.
"Clinic Opens Office of Latino Services"
Washington Blade (01/06/95) Vol. 26, No. 1, P. 6; Fox, Sue
The Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C., recently announced
the creation of the Office of Latino Services to coordinate the
Clinic's outreach to the Latino population in the nation's
capital, suburban Maryland, and northern Virginia. The
Office--to be directed by Frank Yurrita, former director of the
Clinic's Latino Project--will offer HIV/AIDS education programs
for the metropolitan area's Latino community and technical
assistance and training for local Latino organizations. The new
division will also develop HIV/AIDS education and prevention
campaigns for broadcast and print media.