August 11, 1997
A total of 34 persons were found to be positive for the HIV antibody test in the second quarter this year, bringing the cumulative total number of reported HIV infections to 855, the Department of Health announced today (Monday).
Eleven AIDS cases were reported in the same period leading to a total number of 274 confirmed cases.
Of the 34 new infections, 31 (91%) of them were sexually acquired with heterosexual contact remains the major route of transmission.
Routes of transmission of the 855 HIV infected are: 432 through heterosexual and 265 through homosexual or bisexual contacts; 16 were injecting drug users; four were mother-to-child transmission around the time of birth; 67 acquired the infection through contaminated blood or blood products. A majority of the latter could be traced back to before 1985 when HIV antibody tests and safe clotting factor concentrates were not yet available.
As for the remaining 71, the information available was inadequate for classification.