Synopsis for July 18, 2003

The MMWR is embargoed until NOON ET, Thursdays.

1. Rapid Increase in HIV Rates — Orel Oblast, Russian Federation, 1998–2001
2. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome — South Africa, 2001
3. Homemade Chemical Bomb Events and Resulting Injuries — Selected States, January 199–March 2003
4. Update: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome — Worldwide and United States, 2003
5. West Nile Virus Activity — United States, July 10–16, 2003

Synopsis for July 18, 2003

Rapid Increase in HIV Rates — Orel Oblast, Russian Federation, 1998–2001

HIV epidemic in Russia extends beyond large urban centers.

In a study examining the HIV epidemic in rural Russia, new statistics point to a rapid expansion of HIV to Russia’s rural communities. Orel Oblast, a predominantly agricultural province, has seen a 40-fold increase in HIV over the past three years, with new reports increasing from 5 per 100,000 tests in 1998 to 202 per 100,000 in 2001. An overwhelming majority of new HIV cases were among young, male injection drug users (IDUs). The HIV epidemic may also be shifting from IDUs to their heterosexual partners and to the general heterosexual population. In 2001, nearly half of the HIV-infected women and more than 10% percent of HIV-infected men in Orel Oblast were exposed to the virus through heterosexual contact; half of the persons infected heterosexually had sex partners who were IDUs. Researchers suggest that interventions designed specifically to encourage cessation of drug use, or for IDUs who continue to put themselves at risk, interventions that increase knowledge and build skills for safer injecting and sexual practices are needed to slow the HIV epidemic among IDUs and their partners in Russia.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome — South Africa, 2001

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a serious but preventable birth defect endemic throughout South Africa.

FAS is a totally preventable birth defect caused by maternal alcohol use during pregnancy. Children with FAS have physical disabilities and are usually mentally retarded or have life long learning disabilities. In South Africa, with the highest reported prevalence rates of FAS in the world, it is an urgent public health problem. This study demonstrates that the high prevalence rate of FAS in young children is not limited to wine growing communities of South Africa as described in earlier studies, but is found in many poor communities. With limited resources and many competing health problems in South Africa (e.g., HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malnutrition, injuries, and substance abuse) it is critical that prenatal alcohol exposure prevention activities for women and early educational intervention for children with FAS are integrated into existing prevention programs.

Homemade Chemical Bomb Events and Resulting
Injuries — Selected States, January 1996–March 2003

Homemade chemical bombs can pose a serious health threat to those individuals the immediate vicinity of the detonation.

Homemade chemical bombs, also known as acid bombs, bottle bombs, and MacGyver bombs, are explosive devices that can be easily made from volatile household chemicals (i.e., toilet bowl, drain, and driveway cleaners). When these and other ingredients are combined and shaken in a capped container, the internal gas pressure generated from the chemical reaction causes the container to expand and explode. The subsequent explosion can cause injuries (i.e., chemical burns, respiratory irritation, and trauma) or potential death to persons in the immediate vicinity of the detonation. The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has documented 29 such events from six different state health departments participating in the Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system.

Update: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome — Worldwide and United States, 2003

No summary available.

West Nile Virus Activity — United States, July 10–16, 2003

No summary available.

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This page last reviewed July 18, 2003
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