Night Owl 9/Night Owl CD-ROM (NOPV9) (Night Owl Publisher) (1993).ISO/030a/cdc220.zip/CDC220

Text File | 1993-03-07 | 19KB | 277 lines

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 "Hemophiliac Pleads for Redress" Toronto Globe and Mail (02/12/93), P.
A3  (Cox, Kevin)
     A man who contracted HIV through a contaminated blood transfusion
and is dying of AIDS made an appeal Thursday to provincial  governments
in Canada to compensate the families of those with  the disease.  Randy
Conners said, "I think a great injustice has  been done to me and my
family and I want just compensation.  I  want to know that after I die
my family doesn't have to lose our  home or go on welfare."  He also
said he may only have a few  months to live and is concerned about what
will happen to his  wife, Janet, who is also infected with HIV, and
their 12-year-old son.  A Canadian federal program has been giving the
Conners  family, in addition to about 1,000 other HIV-positive
Canadians,  a maximum of $120,000 over four years.  That program will
end on  April 1.  The provincial governments have recently refused to
give compensation to these people, all of whom contracted HIV  through
infected blood products.  The infected blood made its way into the blood
supply in several countries before aggressive  screening and lab testing
was introduced in Canada in 1985.  Mr.  and Mrs. Conners, along with Dan
Doran, president of the Nova  Scotia Hemophilia Society, made their
request for compensation  for the families of people affected by the
tainted-blood scandal  to provincial Health Minister George Moody last
week.  John  Sansom, a spokesman for the Health Department, said that
Moody  has decided to examine the situation with other provincial health
officials to determine if a compensation package would be  feasible.
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 "Bishop Urges Nationwide Fight Against Government Safe Sex Drive"
United Press International (02/15/93)
     Manila, Philippines--The archbishop of Manila is encouraging  Roman
Catholics nationwide to fight attempts by President Fidel  Ramos'
government to promote the use of condoms as a means of  preventing the
spread of HIV infection.  Cardinal Jaime Sin asked Manila parishioners
on Sunday in his sermon to "join hands" in  the fight against abortion,
condoms, and prostitution.  The  sermon was the most recent strike at
the nation's first  Protestant president.  Ramos, a Methodist, has
contradicted the  church's beliefs by backing his health secretary's
policy of  distributing condoms to prevent HIV and educating people in
the  predominantly Catholic nation about all means of birth control.
Sin said, "We all know how hard our lives are in the Philippines, but
what I don't understand is why the government doesn't care  for the
feelings of Christians in our country."  Many church  leaders and
conservative legislators demanded the resignation of  health secretary
Juan Flavier after the former country physician  started distributing
condoms in public early this year.  The  Catholic Bishops Conference
called the use of condoms a  "simplistic and evasive" solution to
preventing HIV infection,  according to a pastoral letter read in
Catholic churches  nationwide Feb. 7.  The Department of Health reports
that 368  Filipinos have been found to have AIDS.  Flavier said Thursday
that the actual number could be 100 times that figure.
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 "Newsline: Fear of AIDS Suit Allowed" National Law Journal (02/15/93)
Vol. 15, No. 24, P. 17
     A federal ruling permitting a worker to sue his employer for his
fear of AIDS is believed to be the first of its kind.  The  decision was
called a "landmark" by prominent AIDS plaintiffs'  litigator David B.
Baum of San Francisco's Baum, Wiss, & Blake.   U.S. District Judge
Arthur D. Spatt of the Eastern District of  New York, ruled on Jan. 26
that a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)  employee who was accidentally stuck
with a hypodermic needle  while cleaning a railroad station can sue his
employer for his  fears that he became infected with HIV.
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 "Supermarket Video: AIDS Committee Sets Fund-Raiser to Start Nov. 24"
Supermarket News (02/08/93) Vol. 43, No. 6, P. 37
     A multi-million dollar fundraising effort will be led by the  Video
Industry AIDS Action Committee between Nov. 24 and Dec. 1,  1993.  The
program, called "A Penny for AIDS," asks retailers to  donate one cent
to VIAAC for every video rental and sale.  The  campaign was announced
during the Video Software Dealers  Association Regional Leaders
Conference in La Jolla, Calif.  The  fundraiser program will also
request that suppliers donate one  cent for every $2 of revenue during
the period.
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 "Unexplained Opportunistic Infections and CD4+ T-Lymphocytopenia
Without HIV Infection" New England Journal of Medicine (02/11/93) Vol.
328, No. 6,  P. 373  (Smith, Dawn K., et al.)
     The mysterious AIDS-like condition without evidence of HIV
infection that has recently been reported appears to be rare and  not
transmissible, write Dr. Dawn K. Smith and colleagues of the  Centers
for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga.  Researchers  conducted
investigations to determine the demographic, clinical,  and immunologic
features of patients with idiopathic CD4+  T-lymphocytopenia (ICL);
whether the syndrome is epidemic or  transmissible; and its possible
causes.  The researchers reviewed 230,179 cases in the CDC AIDS
Reporting System and performed  interviews, medical reviews, and
laboratory analyses of blood  specimens from adults and adolescents who
met the CDC definition  of ICL.  The patients' sexual contacts,
and Dole did not offer his  amendment.  But Dole's top deputy, Sen. Alan
Simpson (R-Wyo.)  said the proposal to lift the ban calls into question
two  things--are HIV-positive immigrants "a public health risk" and  "do
they become a public charge."  Sen. Simpson said these  questions and
others call for thorough study before consideration is given to lifting
the ban, and added that too frequently "we do something out of emotion,
fear, guilt, yes, racism--and it's not  always the right thing."
Simpson said that among the 45,000  immigrants allowed into the United
States, 20 percent are  infected with HIV.  The immigrants he spoke of
are thought to be  from Haiti, but Simpson did not specify.  He said the
United  States should continue the ban but provide waivers for family
reasons and enable those with AIDS to participate in conferences  held
in the United States.  Among the 267 Haitians held at  Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba, 215 are infected with HIV; the others are  their spouses and
children.  Of those Haitians, 10 have  full-blown AIDS.
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 "Princess of Wales Attacks Britain for AIDS Prejudice" United Press
International (02/16/93)
     London--Princess Diana of Wales told a London conference on AIDS
Tuesday that fear and ignorance were the cause of the alienation  of
people with HIV or AIDS in Britain.  She spoke of the social  problems,
prejudice, intolerance, and British reluctance that  isolated AIDS
patients from their families.  "All too soon we all will know someone
with AIDS.... How will we treat them?  With  compassion and care, or
fear and rejection?" she asked.  The  princess told of the loneliness
and isolation people with AIDS  experience and described her meeting
with one woman dying of the  disease who had been rejected by her
family.  "Her wasted hand  reached out for help.  She'd been abandoned
by her family, who  saw her as an unbearable embarrassment and
disgrace," said Diana. She added, "Still I am meeting patients like her,
rejected by  family and past friends, leaving them with the fear of not
being  able to find someone to share their emotional overload and
physical disablement and ultimately their death."  The princess  called
for British people to eliminate the barriers and overcome  the prejudice
and abandonment they inflict on people with AIDS.
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 "Ashe-AIDS Endowment" Associated Press (02/13/93)
     Memphis, Tenn.--A pediatric AIDS research endowment of $1.25
million named for tennis legend Arthur Ashe will be given to St.  Jude
Children's Research Hospital.  The announcement came during  the Kroger-
St. Jude International tennis tournament on Saturday.  J. Wayne
Richmond, executive vice president of the IBM-ATP Tour,  said, "One call
to Arthur and he was quickly on board.  He worked up to 48 hours before
his death to make this happen."  IBM-ATP  was previously called the
Association of Tennis Professionals.   The Racquet Club of Memphis, site
of the tournament, Kroger, and  the IBM-ATP Tour Charities are involved
in raising the money for  the $1.25 million contribution.  Ashe recorded
a videotape about  the effort days before his death.  St. Jude is part
of the AIDS  Clinical Trials Group--a network of 24 pediatric and 28
adult  AIDS research units nationwide.
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 "Fearful of AIDS, China Lifts Veil on Homosexuality" United Press
International (02/17/93)  (Leicester, John)
     Beijing--Although the Chinese government previously denied that
homosexuality existed and jailed anyone suspected of being gay,  the
AIDS epidemic has forced officials to try to lure them back.  Officials
at the National Health Education Institute in China  established "Men's
World," a support group for gay men, last  year.  The authorities hoped
that Chinese homosexuals could be  educated about the risks of HIV
infection before it devastates  gay communities as it has in the West.
Currently, only 3 of the  969 reported cases of HIV infection have been
among gay men, but  health officials claim these figures are misleading.
Wan Yanhai, an official at the institute and a pioneer in AIDS
prevention  work among gay men, said, "I think in reality the number
could be much higher, [and] it is definitely going to rise."  In 1991, a
study was conducted among homosexuals which found that just 3.9  percent
"knew a lot" about AIDS.  But most believed AIDS posed no risk and only
6 percent had ever used condoms, even though they  may have had hundreds
of sex partners.  What was more alarming  was that 25 percent of the 96
men surveyed were found to have a  sexually transmitted disease, which
increases the chance of HIV  transmission.  "Men's World" plans on
implementing a gay  counseling hotline and center in Beijing and AIDS
hotlines in  Shanghai and Canton, distributing condoms and training gay
men as educators who would use their knowledge of China's secretive gay
communities to instruct on HIV prevention.
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 "Idiopathic CD4+ T-Lymphocytopenia--Immunodeficiency Without  Evidence
of HIV Infection" New England Journal of Medicine (02/16/93) Vol. 328,
No. 6,  P. 380  (Ho, David D. et al.)
     It remains undetermined whether idiopathic CD4 T-lymphocytopenia
(ICL) is new, transmissible, or acquired, write David D. Ho et  al. of
the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York, N.Y.   Patients
recently diagnosed with severe CD4 T-lymphocytopenia but without
evidence of HIV infection have spurred a national  surveillance network
to investigate such cases.  The researchers  examined 12 patients with
CD4 T-lymphocytopenia who were referred by three U.S. cities.  The
patients (10 men and 2 women) ranged  in age from 30 to 69 years.  A
total of eight had risk factors  for HIV infection.  The clinical
conditions were heterogeneous:  five patients had opportunistic
infections, five had syndromes of unknown cause, and two had no
symptoms.  Two patients died from  severe complications of their
immunodeficiency.  The patients'  lowest CD4 T-lymphocyte counts ranged
from three to 308 per cubic millimeter.  Three patients had complete or
partial spontaneous  reversal of the CD4 T-lymphocytopenia.  Concomitant
CD8  T-lymphocytopenia was found in three patientsJand abnormal
immunoglobulin levels were found in five.  Multiple virologic  studies
by serologic testing, culture, and polymerase chain  reaction were
completely negative for HIV in all patients.  The  researchers found
that the 12 patients with ICL appear to be  epidemiologically,

 "Inmate With H.I.V. Who Bit Guard Loses Appeal" New York Times
(02/18/93), P. B7  (Sullivan, Joseph F.)
     A Trenton, N.J., appeals court yesterday upheld the attempted
murder conviction of an HIV-positive prisoner who bit a prison  guard.
The court said it was irrelevant whether actually biting  someone could
transmit HIV, as long as the infected prisoner  believed it could.  The
decision by the Appellate Division of the Superior Court confirmed part
of the jury instruction given by  the trial judge, John B. Mariano of
Superior Court, who said,  "Impossibility is not a defense to the charge
of attempted  murder.  That is because our law, our criminal statutes
punish  conduct based on state of mind.  It punishes purposeful actions
regardless of whether the result can be accomplished."  Judge  Mariano
added that this would hold true "even if the result,  which in this case
would be death, was a scientific or factual  impossibility."  The
prisoner's conviction added 25 years to his  earlier robbery sentence of
five years; he was sent to Trenton  State Prison from Camden County
Jail.  The inmate's attorneys,  Ronald L. Kuby and William M. Kunstler
of the Center for  Constitutional Rights, said they would appeal
yesterday's  decision to the New Jersey Supreme Court.  The lawyers said
the  appeals court was surrendering to "AIDS hysteria," and added that
the ruling not only affects the prisoner, but "is a tragedy for  the
hundreds of thousands of HIV-positive people who will  continue to face
irrational discrimination at the hands of the  ignorant and fearful."
The prisoner, Gregory Dean Smith, bit the prison guard on June 11, 1989,
saying, "Now die, you pig!  Die  from what I have!"
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 "In the News: Increased Funding Sought for Anacostia AIDS  Clinics"
Washington Post (02/18/93), P. D.C. 1
     The executive director of Washington, D.C.'s Whitman-Walker  Clinic
requested more money for AIDS services east of the  Anacostia River.
Jim Graham testified Tuesday before the D.C.  Council's Committee on
Human Services and called for an  additional $1 million.  He said
approximately 20 percent of the  District's AIDS patients live east of
the Anacostia River, but  that area has only two of the city's 19
primary care facilities  for people infected with HIV.  Also, both
clinics can only treat  a limited number of people.  Graham said, "We
must change the  geographic balance of AIDS services in this city to
reflect the  realities of the epidemic.  We must end AIDS medical
apartheid  for people with HIV east of the Anacostia River."
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 "Media Notes: Is Being Positive a Negative on the AIDS Beat?"
Washington Post (02/18/93), P. C1  (Kurtz, Howard)
     The disclosure of author/reporter Randy Shilts' HIV-positive
status has brought into question whether he can still be  objective when
writing about the AIDS-related issues.  Shilts, a  San Francisco
Chronicle reporter, is openly gay.  However, he did not disclose his
HIV-positive status until recently, even though  he knew of his
condition in 1987 before he published his book,  "And the Band Played
On."  The book details the emergence of the  AIDS epidemic.  Shilts
said, "Every gay writer who tests positive ends up being an AIDS
activist, and I didn't want to end up being an activist."  The issue has
confused minority journalists who  find themselves dealing with
questions about their "objectivity." Chronicle Editor William German
said he did not wish to publicize Shilts' condition until Shilts chose
to do so himself.  German  said, "If we thought of eliminating reporters
who might not be  objective because of their ancestry or their politics,
frankly,  we'd go out of our minds and it would be impossible to
practice  journalism."  But Jeffrey Schmalz, a New York Times reporter
who  has spoken and written about having AIDS, said that "everyone  knew
Randy was gay.  I don't agree with the argument it would  have
compromised him."  He added, "When I write about AIDS the  objections
come not from the right but from people in the gay  community who call
me and say: 'You're not out front enough on  this issue....  My response
is, I'm a reporter first."  Victor  Zonana of the Los Angeles Times said
that "illness is a private  matter," and that even editors have no right
to learn of an  employee's HIV-positive status.
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 "News Digest: Sanction for Nureyev's Doctor?" American Medical News
(02/08/93) Vol. 36, No. 6, P. 2
     A French medical watchdog group claims it may take action against
Rudolph Nureyev's doctor for disclosing details of the renowned
dancer's fight with AIDS.  Without naming either Nureyev or his
physician, Dr. Michael Canesi, the Order of Doctors' board of  directors
said it was "indignant about statements by a doctor  about the illness
and circumstances of the death of a great  artist."  Nureyev died Jan.
6.  The Order of Doctors can suspend  or revoke Dr. Canesi's license.
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"Food for Life" American Medical News (02/08/93) Vol. 36, No. 6, P. 31
     The Physicians Association for AIDS Care wants doctors who care
for HIV/AIDS patients to treat nutrition as if it were a form of
pharmacology.  PAAC has implemented a new effort to streamline  doctors'
work in assessing, monitoring, and treating HIV-related  malnutrition.
What makes this possible is a computerized  algorithm that provides
updated nutrition information.  Also,  doctors can have their patient's
diets examined and reviewed by a registered dietitian.  HIV/AIDS
patients can receive  individualized treatment plans, and the dietitian
is available  via a toll-free number.  In addition, the PAAC has
released  proceedings from its First International Symposium on
Nutrition  on HIV/AIDS, held last summer at the Eighth International
Conference on AIDS.