AIDS: a new frontier in epidemiology.
HIV infection has become a pandemic. As such, it is the most recent inclusion to epidemiology studies. A review of past epidemics allows a different perspective on the current status of scientific knowledge regarding AIDS. HIV is a retrovirus, one of three groups identified. The other two groups are commonly referred to as HTLV I and II and do not cause AIDS. Two forms of HIV (HIV-1 and HIV-2) make up the third group, HTLV-III. As with any research, various theories are formed, tested, and often rejected. Some theories receive excessive publicity before testing, resulting in incorrect public beliefs that become myths. The cumulative number of cases of AIDS in the United States is 361,509, as of December 31, 1993. Healthcare workers experience multiple opportunities for exposure to the infection in the course of their duties. Based on data from the 1993 BMET/CE survey, several biohazard issues, as well as preventive measures, are discussed.
Baker
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Park Place Medical Center, Port Arthur, TX.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003625:Data Collection; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006678:HIV; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; D015367:Human T-lymphotropic virus 2; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D008284:Maintenance and Engineering, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014489:United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration