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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1986
LATEST AIDS TEST FIGURES PUBLISHED
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A TOTAL OF 69 PERSONS IN HONG KONG WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME) VIRUS DURING THE PERIOD FROM APRIL 1985 TO SEPTEMBER 1986.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON AIDS WHEN IT RELEASED ITS LATEST STATISTICS ON THE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME ON THE DISEASE.
UP TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER 1986, THE VIRUS UNIT OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD CONDUCTED HUMAN IMMUNE DEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) TESTS FOR 30 012 PERSONS.
OF THE 69 PERSONS FOUND TO HAVE AIDS ANTIBODIES, 44 WERE HAEMOPHILIACS, SIX WERE PATIENTS OF SOCIAL HYGIENE CLINICS, TEN WERE REFERRALS FROM PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS AND NINE WERE PATIENTS AT GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS OR CLINICS. THE NINE ALSO INCLUDED THREE CONFIRMED AIDS PATIENTS WHO DIED IN 1985.
THE HONG KONG RED CROSS BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE ALSO REPORTED THREE AIDS POSITIVE TEST RESULTS FROM AMONG ITS DONORS DURING THE SAME PERIOD.
SINCE THE RED CROSS STARTED ITS MASS SCREENING PROGRAMME IN AUGUST 1985, A TOTAL OF 156 710 TESTS HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT ON BLOOD DONORS.
THE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME, WHICH OFFICIALLY STARTED IN AUGUST 1985 WHEN AIDS TEST KITS WERE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE HERE, WAS ONE OF THE MEASURES RECOMMENDED BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE IN HONG KONG.
UNDER THE PROGRAMME, TESTS ARE CARRIED OUT ON CERTAIN HIGH RISKS GROUPS INCLUDING HAEMOPHILIACS WHO HAVE TO USE IMPORTED BLOOD PRODUCTS, ATTENDANCES AT SOCIAL HYGIENE CLINICS AND INTRAVENOUS DRUG ABUSERS.
THE LATEST FIGURES SHOW THAT THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF HIV POSITIVES AMONG CERTAIN HIGH RISK GROUPS OF PEOPLE AND BLOOD DONORS.
IT IS NOTED THAT MOST HIV POSITIVES ARE HAEMOPHILIACS. THE PERCENTAGE OF HAEMOPHILIACS FOUND POSITIVE WITH HIV (46 PER CENT) IS SIMILAR TO THAT OBSERVED IN OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE IMPORTED FACTOR VII HAD BEEN USED BEFORE THE HIV TEST BECAME AVAILABLE. A SAFER HEAT-TREATED FACTOR VIII IS NOW BEING USED IN HONG KONG, THIS NEW PRODUCT WILL REDUCE THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION OF AIDS.
HOWEVER, AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE SPOKESMAN STRESSED
THAT A POSITIVE TEST ONLY INDICATED THAT THE PERSON HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS BUT THAT IT DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE PERSON WAS A CARRIER AND THAT HE OR SHE MIGHT DEVELOP AIDS.