US observes 35th anniversary of first reported cases of AIDS

On June 5, 1981, the CDC published an MMWR on five cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia among previously healthy young men in Los Angeles, a report would later be recognized as the first cases of AIDS in the U.S. June 5, 2016 marked the 35^th anniversary of this report.

The efforts to develop a cure for HIV are ongoing, with different strategies being employed at institutions throughout the world. Other research is aimed at developing an HIV vaccine. As those efforts continue, completed investigations have determined that all patients with HIV should begin ART immediately, regardless of CD4 count. And, while the emergence of ART has “greatly reduced” morbidity and mortality related to HIV infection, there are indications that people with HIV are at risk for non-AIDS, age-related diseases, as well as accelerated aging.

President Barack Obama marked the 35^th anniversary in a statement, highlighting the progress of tools like treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis as well as the effort that will be required to achieve “an AIDS-free generation.” He concluded his statement with a call to “rededicate ourselves to ending this epidemic once and for all.”

To mark the 35^th anniversary of the first case of AIDS in the U.S., Infectious Disease News has compiled a list of five recent stories covering progress in the fight against HIV and the challenges still to be met.

Prompt ART improves HIV patient outcomes

A single-visit ART initiation and care program appeared to offer improved rates of viral suppression among African HIV patients, according to a recent study. Additional data presented at the CDC’s 2015 National HIV Prevention Conference by Anna Satcher Johnson, MPH, also suggested clinical benefits when HIV patients are quickly brought into care. Read more.

US HIV infections decline, but fail to meet national goals

The number of annual HIV infections decreased by approximately 11% from 2010 to 2015, while the rate of HIV transmission declined by 17% during the same period, according to estimates from a recent analysis. While these gains are encouraging, they fall short of the 25% reduction in HIV incidence and 30% reduction in transmission targeted by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), according to Robert A. Bonacci, MPH, and David R. Holtgrave, PhD. Read more.

Getting people tested remains top priority in US eradication of HIV

Infectious Disease News spoke with Bruce Olmscheid, MD, HIV specialist at One Medical Group, about current issues regarding HIV treatment in the United States. Olmscheid discusses the main challenges of testing those at risk for HIV, the role of a future vaccine and what more can be done to eradicate the disease. Read more.

PrEP uptake poised to grow as physicians gain insight, stigmas fade

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, has been approved for HIV prevention in the United States since 2012, and guidelines for its use have been in place since 2014.

Despite CDC estimates that say PrEP can reduce the risk for acquiring HIV through sex by more than 90% and through injection drug use by more than 70%, only a fraction of the people who meet the indication for PrEP are taking Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, Gilead Sciences; FTC/TDF). But experts say some barriers that have led to a slow initial uptake in PrEP are beginning to crumble as more doctors learn about FTC/TDF and stigmas surrounding its use begin to fade. Read more.

Johns Hopkins announces first successful HIV-positive to HIV-positive organ transplants in US

A multidisciplinary team from Johns Hopkins Medicine has successfully performed the first HIV-positive to HIV-positive kidney transplant in the United States, as well as the first HIV-positive to HIV-positive liver transplant worldwide.

“This is a very exciting day for us to be able to transplant patients with HIV, but it’s really only the beginning,” Dorry L. Segev, MD, PhD, associate professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said during a press conference. Read more. – by Julia Ernst, MS

References:

CDC. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1981;30:1-3.

The White House Office of the Press Secretary. Statement by the President on the 35th Anniversary of HIV/AIDS in America. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/05/statement-president-35th-anniversary-hivaids-america. Accessed June 10, 2016.