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The Department of Health (DH) announced today (Thursday) that 183 persons were found positive in HIV antibody tests in 2000, bringing the cumulative total number of reported HIV infections to 1 542.

Sixty-seven AIDS cases were reported the same year, bringing to 500 the total number of confirmed AIDS cases.

The Senior Medical Officer (Special Preventive Programme) of DH, Dr Wong Ka-hing said: "Of the 183 cases of HIV infections reported in 2000, 139 were male and 44 were female, representing a male-to-female ratio of 3.2 to 1.

"Sexual transmission was still the most common route of HIV infection, accounting for 76%.

"Nine cases were injecting drug users and two got the infection through perinatal transmission.

"For the remaining 33 cases, the information available was inadequate for classification."

For the 67 confirmed AIDS cases, the number of male cases were 57 and female cases were ten.

The most common presenting AIDS defining illness was Pneumocystic carinii Pneumonia, followed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

DH monitors the HIV/AIDS situation through a voluntary reported system. The first cases of the HIV and AIDS were reported in 1984 and 1985 respectively.

Dr Wong said: "Members of the public can request for free, anonymous and confidential HIV tests by calling DH's AIDS Hotline (2780 2211)."

Reported data on HIV/AIDS are released on a quarterly basis and can be viewed on DH's Homepage on AIDS. The website address is http://www.info.gov.hk/aids

HIV is the cause of AIDS and half of the HIV-infected will progress to AIDS in 10 years' time if without treatment.

End/Thursday, January 18, 2001

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