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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has announced that 89 people tested positive for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) antibody in the first quarter of 2006, bringing the cumulative total of reported HIV infections to 2,914. Fifty-eight per cent of the new cases were related to sexual contact.
Seventeen new cases of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) were reported in the same quarter, bringing to 799 the total number of confirmed AIDS cases reported since 1985. Seventy-six per cent of the new cases were related to sexual contact.
Reviewing the AIDS situation in Hong Kong at a press conference today (May 23), the department's Senior Medical Officer (Special Preventive Programme), Dr Raymond Ho said the predominant route of HIV transmission in this quarter remain sexual contact.
"Of the 89 new HIV cases reported, 26 acquired the infection via heterosexual contact, 26 via homosexual or bisexual contact and eight cases of injection drug use."
The routes of transmission of the remaining 29 cases were undetermined due to inadequate data.
The 89 cases comprised 70 males and 19 females.
In this quarter, the commonest AIDS defining illness is Pneumocystic Pneumonia (PCP), a kind of chest infection, and is closely followed by Mycobacterium infection (TB).
Of the 2,914 cumulative total of HIV infections since 1984, 76% acquired infection through sexual contact. Of them, 68% resulted from heterosexual transmission and 124 infections have occurred among injection drug users.
The newly diagnosed cases of this quarter were reported by four major sources: public hospitals and clinics (46), private hospitals and clinics (24), Social Hygiene Clinics (7) and the department's AIDS Counselling Service (8).
Cumulatively, the four sources have accounted for 44.9%, 21.7%, 14.6% and 12.8% of all reported infections.
Of the newly reported cases in this quarter, 61 (68.5%) have received care at the HIV specialist services of the Department of Health or the Hospital Authority.
Seventy-five per cent of the reported cases in the year 2005 have attended these services where effective antiretroviral treatment is offered according to clinical indication.
The department monitors the HIV/AIDS situation through a voluntary reporting system. The first cases of HIV and AIDS were reported in 1984 and 1985 respectively.
Dr Ho said members of the public could request free, anonymous and confidential HIV counselling by calling AIDS Hotline (2780 2211). HIV antibody testing may also be arranged as appropriate through this hotline.
Information on AIDS and data on HIV/AIDS, which are released on a quarterly basis, can be viewed on the DH's AIDS Unit webpage http://www.aids.gov.hk.
HIV is the cause of AIDS and, without treatment, half of the HIV-infected people will progress to AIDS within 10 years.
Ends/Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:30
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