SIDA no Brasil, 1982-1988

Abstract

The first five AIDS cases recorded in Brazil occured in 1982 (one in the state of Rio de Janeiro and four in the state of Sao Paulo). The incidence has risen steeply since then, with 914 cases reported in the country in the first seven months of 1988. As in Europe and the United States of America, a large proportion of the cases continue to accur in the great metropolises, although incidences are rising steadily in smaller cities. The hardest hit age group is still that between 25 and 40 years, which is not surprising since almost 80 percent of the cases notified were transmitted by sexual contact. The last three years have been witnessed a considerable increase in pediatric cases caused by perinatal (intrauterine or intrapartum) transmission or by the transfusion of contaminated blood and blood products. Thorugh the Government is making serious efforts to monitor the quality of blood destined for transfusion by screening donors through the ELISA method, the prevalence of infection by the human immonudeficiency virus was high before a technique for its detection became available, and many hemophiliacs and other transfusion recipients will continue to fall prey to the disease. Several activities are under way to reduce the risk of infection for intravenous drug users