Spread of gay disease feared

Press, 1 November 1982, Page 8

Spread of gay disease feared

NZPA San Francisco A syndrome that makes homosexual men susceptible to fatal diseases is spreading to heterosexual men and women in the United States, according to doctors attending a conference in San Francisco. “The number of reported cases has probably doubled every six months," said Dr Harold Jaffe, of the National Centres for Disease Control in Atlanta,

. The illness, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, begins with a breakdown in the body’s natural defences. It develops into a rare skin cancer or a variety of infections, most commonly a form of pneumonia, doctors said. “A recent study (reported in the “New England Journal of Medicine”) has shown as many as 83 per cent of homosexual men may have immunodeficiency,” said Dr

Paul Volberding, chief of medical oncology for San Francisco General Hospital. “If so, that implies that this disease may be highly contagious and raises the possibility that we are going to be • seeing a huge outbreak.” ■ ; Of the 665 cases reported since June last year 270 victims have died. “When we first heard about this, all the cases appeared to be among homosexual men. As time has gone on, it has become apparent that other groups are getting the disease as well,” Dr Jaffe said. Statistics showed that of 593 cases reported between June last year and September this year about 75 per cent had been homosexual and bisexual men who may. be spreading the disease through sexual contact, Dr Jaffe said