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Press Release

AIDS situation in 3rd quarter of 1997

Friday, October 31, 1997

A total of 52 persons were found to be positive for the HIV antibody test in the third quarter this year, bringing the cumulative total number of reported HIV infections to 907, the Department of Health announced today (Friday).

The number of new HIV infections reported in the third quarter is the highest ever received in a single quarter since the surveillance system was established in 1984.

Sixteen AIDS cases were reported in the same period leading to a total number of 290 confirmed cases.

For this quarter, the ratio of reported male to female HIV infections is three to one. Ninety percent acquired the infection via sexual contact.

Routes of transmission of the 907 HIV infected are: 473 through heterosexual and 271 through homosexual or bisexual sex; 16 were injecting drug users; four were mother-to-child transmission around the time of birth; and 67 acquired the infection through contaminated blood or blood products.

As for the remaining 76, the information available was inadequate for classification.

22 March 2007