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HIV/AIDS Situation Could Worsen in China

An increasing number of HIV infections and the appearance of a new HIV strain could worsen the AIDS situation in China, health experts warned.In 1999, there were 4,677 confirmed HIV positive cases here, a rise of 41.5 percent over 1998, and the number of AIDS patients increased by 69.1 percent in the same period, according to the Department of Disease Control under the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Confirmed HIV/AIDS cases totaled 17,316 by the end of last year, including 647 fully developed AIDS patients, among whom 356 died. The MOH estimates that the infection has in fact reached 400,000 people or even more.

"The figure has been rocketing for successive five years, and rampant sexually transmitted diseases and co-infection of HIV and tuberculosis may make the situation worse," said Dai Zhicheng, vice-chairman of the Chinese Association of STD and AIDS Prevention and Control.

The MOH Center for AIDS Prevention and Control also confirmed that a novel HIV strain has been detected in China, which may make the situation more complicated.

Two carriers of HIV-2, which mainly prevails in Africa, both had working experience in west Africa, the China Daily reported Monday.

The report quoted a MOH official as saying that efforts should be made to accurately diagnose these new cases, since tests are at present only able to detect the HIV-1 antibody.




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An increasing number of HIV infections and the appearance of a new HIV strain could worsen the AIDS situation in China, health experts warned.In 1999, there were 4,677 confirmed HIV positive cases here, a rise of 41.5 percent over 1998, and the number of AIDS patients increased by 69.1 percent in the same period, according to the Department of Disease Control under the Ministry of Health (MOH).

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