FLORIDA: UF Receives $2.5 Million to Support Ongoing Studies of HIV and Alcohol Use

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 - http://news.ufl.edu

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has awarded the University of Florida (UF) a $2.5 million grant to support studies on HIV infection and high-risk alcohol consumption. Through this new grant, the Southern HIV Alcohol Research Consortium (SHARC) will be able to establish an administrative and research support arm to expand research sites across Florida, provide research training support, create partnerships with Florida county health departments and HIV clinics, and facilitate new research studies. Dr. Robert Cook is the consortium administrative director and is an associate professor of epidemiology and medicine at the UF College of Public Health & Health Professions and the College of Medicine. Cook stated that the ultimate goal of the work is to put into practice the research findings in clinical and public health settings, help people reduce high-risk alcohol consumption, and improve health outcomes in persons with HIV infection. Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., are ranked first and second, respectively, in the United States in terms of HIV infection rates per 100,000 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Florida Department of Health study of HIV occurrence within the state found that nearly 20 percent of African-American men who have sex with men are living with HIV/AIDS. Cook said that HIV infection also is an issue in rural areas, as well as for older adults. Over the past 10 years, the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Florida has increased the most among residents age 50 and older. The SHARC was established in 2011 to bring together research teams at the UF, Florida International University, the University of Miami, and Rush University in Chicago that are conducting National Institutes of Health-funded research on alcohol consumption in people with HIV. Previous studies have shown that 50 percent of men with HIV and 20 to 30 percent of women with HIV consume high-risk levels of alcohol. Such behaviors can lead to adverse health effects such as increased risky sexual behavior and lower medication adherence. As a result, persons with this behavior have higher levels of HIV virus in the body and more rapid disease progression. Cook leads a study that evaluates whether a prescription medication used to curb alcohol cravings can help women with HIV reduce their alcohol consumption, and improve their overall health. The new administrative and research program will support the ongoing consortium studies and facilitate new projects. Researchers will have access to resources such as statistical analysis services, central data management, and pharmaceutical and laboratory support, in addition to new participant populations that more fully represent Florida’s diverse population. The administrative core also will fund research training and mentoring opportunities.

NEW YORK: HIV/AIDS Death Rates Decrease...in Prison

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 - http://www.amsterdamnews.org/

Although sex in prison is forbidden, the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, is prevalent. However, a recent report from the US Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) states that the number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths inside prisons has decreased within the past decade. According to the report, the rate of AIDS-related deaths among all state and federal prisoners dropped by an average of approximately 16 percent each year between 2001 and 2010. New York, California, Florida, and Texas house more than half of all state inmates with HIV/AIDS, and New York prisons hold the highest rate of inmates with HIV/AIDS, with about 6 percent, followed by inmates in Louisiana, Maryland, and Florida. The report attributes the decline of HIV/AIDS-related deaths in prison, at least in part, to a decrease in the number of African-American inmates over the age of 35. For example, the number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths among all state prisoners dropped from 89 in 2009 to 69 in 2010. Many counselors argue that while the latest BJS report is encouraging, more could be done to eliminate the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted diseases in prison. For example, prisons are forbidden from distributing condoms to inmates. Manhattan HIV CARE Network Program Director Jose Martin Garcia Orduna said that professionals often fail to give HIV-positive inmates the adequate health care and support systems necessary to remain well in prison and to successfully re-enter society. To view the complete report “HIV in Prison 2001–2010,” visit the Bureau of Justice Statistics at www.bjs.gov.

SOUTH AFRICA: Ex-Miners Launch Court Action Against AngloGold Ashanti

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 - http://www.miningweekly.com

Former miners have filed a lawsuit against the South African mining company AngloGold Ashanti in the Johannesburg High Court for health-related negligence. The 31 plaintiffs claim that they contracted silicosis and silico-tuberculosis from exposure to excessive levels of dust during their employment at the Vaal Reefs gold mine, which was owned and operated by Vaal Reefs Exploration and Mining Company, now known as AngloGold Ashanti. The plaintiffs’ local attorney, Zanele Mbuyisa, is being assisted by the law firm Leigh Day & Co. of London, England. Leigh Day & Co. stated that they expect a large number of former Vaal Reefs miners to join the lawsuit on an ongoing basis. According to Mbuyisa, the company has been working extensively in communities in the Eastern Cape, Lesotho, and the Free State. These areas have been devastated by the impact of silicosis and TB. Former miners have been abandoned by the industry, and the vast majority of workers have not even received the modest statutory compensation to which they are entitled. Leigh Day & Co. has been assisting the Johannesburg branch of the Legal Resources Centre since 2004 in a series of claims, including health-related negligence, against Anglo American South Africa (AASA), another mining company, on behalf of 18 former miners who worked at a gold mine in the Free State. Several former employees contracted silicosis and silico-tuberculosis during their employment at the mine between 1970 and 1998. Richard Meeran, a partner at Leigh Day & Co., announced that an arbitration hearing was set for September 2, 2013, to determine whether AASA should be held liable for compensation to the claimants. Also Leigh Day & Co is representing about 2,000 former gold miners and potentially thousands more in a separate case against AASA in the English High Court. That case may be heard by the end of 2012.

UNITED STATES: Increased Risk of Stomach and Esophageal Cancer in People With AIDS

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 - http://www.gastrojournal.org

A study by E. Christina Persson of the National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, and colleagues indicated that there is an increased risk of cancers of the stomach and esophagus in people with AIDS. The researchers analyzed data from 596,955 people from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study, which links data from 1980 to 2007 for 16 US population-based HIV and AIDS cancer registries. They compared stomach and esophageal malignancies in people with AIDS with those of the general public and evaluated the risks of different histological and anatomic subtypes of carcinomas and non-Hodgkin lymphomas of the stomach and esophagus in people with AIDS. Results show that people with AIDS have 69 percent and 44 percent increased risks of esophageal and stomach carcinomas respectively, compared with the general population. The incidence of carcinomas remained fairly constant over time, but rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma decreased from 1980–2007. The incidence of both esophageal and stomach carcinomas increased with age, and the risk of these cancers among people with AIDS did not decline across calendar years even with the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy in 1996. Compared with non-Hispanic White subjects, Hispanic subjects had a lower risk of esophageal carcinoma, and non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic subjects had a higher risk of stomach carcinoma. No associations were observed between sex and risk of esophageal or stomach cancer. Compared with men who have sex with men, heterosexuals with HIV had a higher risk of esophageal carcinoma. Compared with the general population, the risks of carcinomas of the esophagus or stomach were not elevated in people with HIV only; compared with people with HIV only, individuals with AIDS had a higher risk of carcinomas of the esophagus and the stomach. The CD4 count at the onset of AIDS was not associated with risk of esophageal or stomach carcinoma. The researchers provide possible explanations for these results, including an increased prevalence of H. pylori infection in people with AIDS.

INDIANA: NIH Grant to Fund IU Researcher's Novel Aproach to Reducing Chlamydia Rates in Women

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 - http://newsinfo.iu.edu

The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded Barbara Van Der Pol, associate professor in the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, a $423,381 grant from to explore a novel approach to reducing chlamydia rates in women by making it easier for men to be tested. She will use market research techniques to explore how men would prefer being tested, using a community-based approach designed to reach men who are not accustomed to using a clinic. Often men and women who have chlamydia are not aware they have been infected, making the sexually transmitted disease difficult to detect and easy to spread. The consequences are of particular concern to women because of the link to infertility, so most public health efforts at reducing chlamydia rates have focused on women. However Van Der Pol stated a new approach is needed because during the last 30 years, very little progress has been made, even though chlamydia affects 3 million people each year. She added that it is clear that men are the “missing link.” Van Der Pol will work with Brian Dodge, associate professor in the Department of Applied Health Science and associate director of the School of Public Health's Center for Sexual Health Promotion. The study is designed to address chlamydia concerns; however, the results will be applicable to all sexually transmitted infections (STI), which will make the findings of broader interest. Many men in previous research studies reported feelings of stigma associated with being tested in clinics. Most were enthusiastic about having options to participate in testing in a wide range of non-clinical situations. The survey will ask about a number of testing options, some of which can be done without the men even seeing a clinician. For example, test samples can be placed in a drop box or mailed. Study participants can select from a variety of ways to schedule tests or obtain results, such as text messages, e-mail, traditional mail, or by telephone calls. The researchers want to reach 250 men with this first phase. “We don't ask the consumers what they want,” Van Der Pol said. “We have these clever schemes, but with health care dollars so limited, we're not going to be successful unless we ask people what they want.” She said this marketing research approach to health care is relatively new, even though it has been used for commercial purposes for decades.

NEW YORK: New York City Health Department Recommends Vaccination for HIV-Positive Men at High Risk of Meningitis

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 - http://www.thebody.com

The New York City Health Department recently issued recommendations for vaccinating against meningitis after an increase in the number of reported cases over the past five weeks. The department is advising vaccinations for any man who is HIV positive and has had intimate contact with another man met through a website, digital application, or at a bar or party since September 1, 2012. The vaccine will become available on October 5, 2012, at medical facilities throughout the city for men who meet these criteria and cannot obtain the vaccine from their HIV care providers. This outbreak of meningitis among HIV-positive men in New York City is completely unrelated to the outbreak of meningitis in several states that is caused by a contaminated medication. The vaccination prevents, but does not treat the current infection. Common symptoms of meningitis—high fever, headache, stiff neck, and rash—develop rapidly upon onset. Symptoms occur 2 to 10 days after exposure, but more usually within 5 days. Individuals who are HIV-positive and who experience these symptoms should seek medical assistance immediately. The vaccine is best given as part of regular medical care for HIV infection, so patients should first check with their medical care provider to find out if they have had the vaccine. If the provider does not have the vaccine, individuals should visit one of the HIV clinics at select New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation sites. For two months, these clinics will waive their co-pay requirements for those who have insurance. The Health Department’s clinics will be able to administer the vaccine for those who cannot obtain a vaccine from their medical providers or a New York City Health and Hospitals Corporations clinic. To find an HIV care provider or location to get a vaccine call 311. For more information search “Meningitis” at www.nyc.gov.

NEW YORK: AIDS Awareness Walk/Oct. 14

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 - http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/

The AIDS Community Resources, based in Syracuse, New York, will have its annual First Frost AIDS Walk/Run on October 14. Pre-registration is at 1 p.m. for the 5K walk/run, beginning at the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park. AIDS Community Resources offers prevention, education, and support services to individuals infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS in nine counties, including Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence. Creative pre-event fundraisers usually raise more funds and awareness for the agency than the walk. According to Development Associate Jacki C. Coe, the more interesting the event, the more people are attracted and are thus exposed to the educational information the organization provides about HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. In the past, pre-events have included a wing-eating challenge, Blow-Out Fantasy Hair Show, and a Red Solo Cup Party. For more information visit the walk’s website at www.AIDSwalkCNY.com.