XN000022-1993-03-30 — Page 12

TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 1993

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EIGHT MORE HIV-INFECTED CASES CONFIRMED

率

SEVEN MEN AND ONE WOMAN WERE FOUND TO BE POSITIVE FOR THE ANTIBODY TEST LAST MONTH (FEBRUARY), BRINGING THE NUMBER HIV-INFECTED PERSONS IN HONG KONG TO 348.

HIV

OF

SPEAKING AT A MONTHLY MEDIA SESSION, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S CONSULTANT (SPECIAL PREVENTIVE PROGRAMME), DR S S LER, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT THREE AIDS CASES WERE REPORTED DURING THE MONTH.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CONFIRMED AIDS CASES IS 76 WITH 50 DEATHS. THE 26 OTHERS ARE EITHER UNDER COUNSELLING AND TREATMENT OR HAVE LEFT THE TERRITORY.

OF THE 348 PERSONS INFECTED, 245 GOT THE INFECTION SEXUALLY, EIGHT WERE INTRAVENOUS DRUG-USERS, AND 64 GOT THE INFECTION THROUGH CONTAMINATED BLOOD OR BLOOD PRODUCTS BEFORE 1985 WHEN HIV ANTIBODY TEST AND SAFE HEAT-TREATED CLOTTING CONCENTRATES WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

FOR THE REMAINING 31, THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE WAS INADEQUATE FOR CLASSIFICATION.

UNDER THE HIV SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME WHICH STARTED IN

1985,

A TOTAL OF 263,049 BLOOD SPECIMENS HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR THE HIV ANTIBODY.

THE HONG KONG RED CROSS BLOOD TRANSFUSION SCREENED ALL BLOOD DONORS FOR AIDS.

SERVICE HAS ALSO

UP TO LAST MONTH, 1,210,384 UNITS OF BLOOD HAVE BEEN TESTED AND 26 DONORS WERE FOUND POSITIVE.

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