XN000022-1989-02-28 — Page 9

8.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1989

TWO MORE AIDS PATIENTS CONFIRMED

*

AIDS

TWO MORE (ACQUIRED

PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED TO BE IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME ) PATIENTS, THE MEDICAL

AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (TUESDAY).

THIS BRINGS TO 19 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF AIDS CASES REPORTED IN THE TERRITORY. THE TWO NEW PATIENTS ARE BOTH MEN WHO HAVE ACQUIRED THE DISEASE SEXUALLY,

RELEASING THE JANUARY STATISTICS ON THE AIDS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME, THE DEPARTMENT'S SPOKESMAN SAID SO FAR

OF AIDS PATIENTS HAD DIED. THE OTHER SEVEN PATIENTS ARE STILL RECEIVING COUNSELLING AND TREATMENT.

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THE

THE DEPARTMENT ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT FIVE MORE PERSONS WERE FOUND POSITIVE IN TESTING FOR THE HIV ANTIBODY, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CARRIERS TO 139.

THE 139 CARRIERS INCLUDE 53 HAEMOPHILIACS, 14 PERSONS WHO ATTENDED SOCIAL HYGIENE CLINICS, 40 PATIENTS FROM GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS AND CLINICS, AND 32 REFERRALS FROM PRIVATE DOCTORS AND SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS.

UNDER THE AIDS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME BEGAN BY THE DEPARTMENT IN 1985, A TOTAL OF 117,978 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR THE AIDS VIRUS.

MEANWHILE, THE HONG KONG RED CROSS BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE

HAS ALSO SCREENED ALL BLOOD DONORS FOR AIDS.

UP TO JANUARY, 514,301 UNITS OF BLOOD HAD BEEN TESTED AND EIGHT UNITS WERE FOUND POSITIVE.

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