XN000022-1989-01-31 — Page 21

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1989

17TH AIDS CASE REPORTED

THE NUMBER OF AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME | CASES BEING CONFIRMED IN HONG KONG HAS RISEN TO 17, WITH THE LATEST VICTIM THIS MONTH.

THE 17TH PATIENT HAS DIED. HE WAS A MAN WHO HAD ACQUIRED THE DISEASE SEXUALLY.

THIS WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT TODAY (TUESDAY) WHEN

RELEASED THE DECEMBER STATISTICS ON THE AIDS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME.

IT

UP TO NOW, THE DEADLY DISEASE HAS CLAIMED 12 LIVES, INCLUDING ONE FEMALE. THE OTHER FIVE PATIENTS ARE UNDER TREATMENT.

THE DEPARTMENT ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT TWO MORE PERSONS WERE FOUND

THE POSITIVE IN TESTING FOR THE HIV ANTIBODY, BRINGING

TOTAL NUMBER

OF CARRIERS TO 134.

THE 134 CARRIERS INVOLVED 53 HAEMOPHILIACS, 12 PERSONS WHO ATTENDED SOCIAL HYGIENE CLINICS, 38 PATIENTS FROM GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, AND 31 PERSONS WHO WERE REFERRED FROM PRIVATE DOCTORS AND SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS.

UNDER THE AIDS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME BEGAN BY THE DEPARTMENT

HAVE BEEN IN 1985, A TOTAL OF 114,810 PEOPLE

TESTED FOR THE AIDS

VIRUS.

MEANWHILE, THE HONG KONG RED CROSS BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE HAS ALSO SCREENED ALL BLOOD DONORS FOR AIDS.

UP TO DECEMBER, 501,936 UNITS OF BLOOD HAD BEEN TESTED AND SEVEN WERE FOUND POSITIVE.

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