Estimates of US HIV/AIDS cases rise 50 percent-reports
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Estimates of US HIV/AIDS cases rise 50 percent-reports*
01 Dec 2007 10:54:35 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. government is raising its
estimate of how many Americans are becoming infected with the AIDS virus
every year by 50 percent, according to newspaper reports on Saturday.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now believes the
number of new HIV infections each year is between 55,000 and 60,000 --
up from the 40,000 figure used for the past decade, The Washington Post
reported.
The Post cited two unidentified people in contact with the scientists
preparing the new estimate.
It said the higher figures were based on data from 19 states and large
cities that were extrapolated to the nation as a whole. The CDC has not
made the new estimate public.
The Wall Street Journal also reported the CDC's expected upward
revision, citing unidentified outside researchers and public health
officials.
The Journal said Robert Janssen, director of the CDC's Division of
HIV/AIDS Prevention, declined to comment on the new estimates, saying
they could change.
The newspapers attributed the revision to new testing technology
developed by the U.S. public health agency, which also revised its
methodology to make estimates more precise.
"The higher estimate is the product of a new method of testing blood
samples that can identify those who were infected within the previous
five months. With a way to distinguish recent infections from
long-standing ones, epidemiologists can then estimate how many new
infections are appearing nationwide each month or year," the Post said.
(Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Richard Balmforth)