CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update 5/08/2014

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. "PNU is a prevention and treatment news summary service. NPIN redistributes summaries as a public service. Inclusion of an article does not constitute CDC endorsement of the content. More details in footer." 5/8/2014 National News Hepatitis Awareness Month: Baby Boomers and African-Americans Most Likely to Test Positive for Deadly Hep C International News State Breaks HIV Taboo, Queues up for Tests Medical News Scientists Focus on Role of Ventilation in Preventing Tuberculosis Transmission Local and Community News Broward School Board Approves Sex Ed Overhaul News Briefs Free HIV and Hepatitis Testing Available this Weekend HIV Cases Involving Youths Alarming - Hilmi National News Hepatitis Awareness Month: Baby Boomers and African-Americans Most Likely to Test Positive for Deadly Hep C UNITED STATES :: Viral Hepatitis Medical Daily (05.06.2014) :: By Susan Scutti Medical Daily reported that CDC has designated May 19, the third Monday of Hepatitis Awareness Month, as Testing Day, and Acting Surgeon General Dr. Boris D. Lushniak is urging baby boomers and African Americans to make appointments to get tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV) this month. HCV, a blood-borne disease that can damage the liver, can be fatal and often goes undetected for decades before showing any signs of damage. Lushniak approximates that 75 percent of the 2.7 to 3.9 million Americans infected with HCV are baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965. CDC now recommends that all primary care physicians routinely test all adults in this age group, regardless of perceived risk. “As a fellow baby boomer, I am very concerned that one in 40 baby boomers—about 2.1 million people—are infected with HCV,” Lushniak stated. Health experts say that one-third of HCV-infected people may die from the disease without detection and treatment, and 75 percent of those will be baby boomers. If a person tests positive, then a physician can test for the viral load of the disease. While not indicating cirrhosis or liver failure, a low viral load usually indicates a better response to treatment. Read Full Article Share this Article Back to Top International News State Breaks HIV Taboo, Queues up for Tests INDIA :: HIV/AIDS Times of India (05.07.2014) The Times of India reported that residents of Madhya Pradesh State no longer treat HIV as taboo; many individuals have changed their attitudes and are showing up for HIV tests. According to a Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (MPSACS) study, in 2013 more than 8.5 lakh (850,000) individuals received HIV tests, compared with 3.4 lakh (340,000) in 2010. An official from MPSACS noted that the 2013 data reported that of 100 individuals testing positive, 38 percent were male, 68 percent female, and the majority was in the 35–49 age group. MPSACS has identified 100 villages in Bhopal with high-risk groups and is providing the at-risk persons with antiretrovirals and medical care, according to the official. This representative also said that a similar project is ongoing for sex workers in urban and semi-urban areas, men who have sex with men, and drug users. Madhya Pradesh State ranks 30th among India’s 34 states and Union territories for HIV prevalence, based on the Indian Government’s HIV technical report. MPSACS has begun its National AIDS Control Phase 4, which focuses on service, treatment, and testing expansion to include private sector hospitals and public sector undertakings. So far, female condoms are not popular and are in the pilot stage of introduction in Indore and Dewas. The society also is focusing on introducing female condoms to female sex workers and will review sex workers’ acceptance and feasibility of using the condoms before introducing them to others. The cost of female condoms is subsidized, but they are not readily available in stores. Read Full Article Share this Article Back to Top Medical News Scientists Focus on Role of Ventilation in Preventing Tuberculosis Transmission SOUTH AFRICA :: TB Medical Xpress (05.07.2014) Medical Xpress reported on a study of room ventilation and TB transmission. During a one-year period, Eugene Richardson of Stanford University School of Medicine and colleagues assessed the role of schools and “air hygiene” in TB transmission or prevention by monitoring carbon dioxide in a Cape Town, South Africa, high school. The researchers calculated the indoor carbon dioxide concentration threshold above which risk of TB transmission increased due to a high amount of rebreathed air. Findings indicated that students spent up to 60 percent of their time in classrooms with carbon dioxide levels above the threshold of risk for TB transmission. Classrooms with the highest amounts of carbon dioxide had windows on one side of the room only. Since South Africa has large numbers of TB-positive high school students, the researchers suggest improving the natural ventilation in the classrooms to lower carbon dioxide levels and reduce TB transmission in schools. The full report, “Shared Air: A Renewed Focus on Ventilation for the Prevention of Tuberculosis Transmission,” was published online in the journal PLoS ONE (2014; 9(5): e96334. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0096334). Read Full Article Share this Article Back to Top Local and Community News Broward School Board Approves Sex Ed Overhaul FLORIDA :: HIV/AIDS,STDs CBS Miami (05.06.2014) CBS Miami reported that Florida’s Broward County School Board this week unanimously approved the overhaul of an outdated sex education curriculum by adopting a new perspective on talking about sex. The new curriculum, which the county will implement in the coming school year, ensures students throughout the county receive the same accurate and appropriate education by grade level and is aligned with programs taught throughout the United States. New courses aim to reduce HIV and STD transmission and reduce teen pregnancy. Broward County School District, which is the sixth largest in the nation, ranks number one in the United States for AIDS cases and second for HIV infections. Health experts estimate that the majority of HIV-positive youth do not know they are infected. Parents will have access to the curriculum and can opt out of their students learning the material if they would prefer to teach them at home. Students view the new curriculum as providing important information and creating an atmosphere where nothing is taboo to discuss. Read Full Article Share this Article Back to Top News Briefs Free HIV and Hepatitis Testing Available this Weekend UTAH :: HIV/AIDS,Viral Hepatitis The Independent (Utah) (05.07.2014) The Independent reported that the Tri-State HIV/AIDS Task Force will provide free HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing on Saturday, May 10, at the Doctors’ Volunteer Clinic of St. George, Utah, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. According to CDC, 75 percent of the 3 million HCV-positive Americans do not know that they are infected. If left untreated, HCV infection can cause liver damage and liver cancer. The clinic is at 1036 East Riverside Drive in St. George. For more information, call (435) 656–0022. Read Full Article Share this Article Back to Top   HIV Cases Involving Youths Alarming - Hilmi MALAYSIA :: HIV/AIDS BERNAMA (05.07.2014) BERNAMA reported that at the launch of an awareness campaign organized by the University Sains Malaysia and the Malaysian AIDS Council, Malaysia’s Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Hilmi Yahaya described the increase in the number of youth ages 20–30 diagnosed with HIV as “alarming.” Hilmi stated that 78.8 percent of HIV cases were among that age group. He pledged that the health ministry would continue to present awareness campaigns and information on HIV prevention. Hilmi commented that drug addicts and people practicing unsafe sex are at risk of contracting HIV. In addition to awareness campaigns, Hilmi said the ministry also participated in programs in cooperation with nongovernmental organizations to provide free needles and condoms to injecting drug users to reduce transmission risk. Hilmi explained that the health ministry spent approximately RM185 million a year on AIDS treatment and approximately RM26 million on prevention campaigns. Read Full Article Share this Article Back to Top The CDC National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention provides the above information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, other sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. The above summaries were prepared without conducting any additional research or investigation into the facts and statements made in the articles being summarized, and therefore readers are expressly cautioned against relying on the validity or invalidity of any statements made in these summaries. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted above for full texts of the articles. The Prevention News Update electronic mailing list is maintained by the National Prevention Information Network (NPIN), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. Regular postings include the Prevention News Update, select articles from the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report series, and announcements about new NPIN products and services. Questions? Contact Us STAY CONNECTED: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Help

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