MMWR

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

(Box) National HIV Testing Day – June 27, 2008

PRESS CONTACT: CDC
Division of Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

No summary available.

Trends in HIV/AIDS Diagnoses Among Men Who Have Sex with Men – 33 States, 2001-2006

PRESS CONTACT: CDC
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention
(404) 639-8895

A CDC analysis of HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM) indicates troubling signs of increases in new diagnoses among young MSM aged 13-24 and underscores the significant impact of the disease among young MSM, especially young black MSM. The study analyzed data on new HIV diagnoses from 2001 through 2006 in 33 states with confidential, long-standing name-based HIV reporting. A 12 percent annual increase in diagnoses was seen among young MSM, with increases across all racial/ethnic groups except for American Indians/Alaskan Natives, and especially concerning increases among young black MSM (15 percent annual increase, compared to 9 percent and 8 percent among their white and Hispanic counterparts, respectively). While HIV diagnosis data do not necessarily reflect trends in new HIV infections overall, diagnoses among young MSM represent relatively recent infections. These data, combined with prior analyses of testing trends in this population, suggest that new infections are likely increasing among young MSM. Additionally, approximately twice as many diagnoses occurred among young black MSM as their white counterparts. These data underscore the need for expanded access to HIV prevention among young MSM, especially young black MSM.

Cigarette Use Among High School Students – United States, 1991-2007

PRESS CONTACT: CDC
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
(770) 488-5493

The data reported in this study illustrate that achieving further reductions in the overall rate of cigarette use among youth in the US will require full implementation of comprehensive tobacco control efforts that make smoking socially unacceptable. These efforts should include use of counter-advertising mass media campaigns; comprehensive school-based tobacco-use prevention policies and programs; community interventions that reduce tobacco advertising, promotions, and commercial availability of tobacco products; and higher prices for tobacco products through increases in unit prices and excise taxes. Analyses of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) found that prevalence of current cigarette use among high school students remained unchanged from 2003 to 2007 following an increase from 27.5 percent in 1991 to 36.4 percent in 1997, and subsequently, a decline to 21.9 percent in 2003. Despite the lack of decline in cigarette use overall, rates among black students overall and black female students declined during 2003-2007. The rate among black female students was 8.4 percent in 2007. The national health objective for 2010, calling for reducing current cigarette use among high school students to 16 percent or less, can only be achieved if the declines observed during 1997–2003 resume.

Elevated Serum Aluminum Levels Associated with Use of Electric Pumps Among Hemodialysis Patients – Wyoming, 2007

PRESS CONTACT: Stacey Anderson
Wyoming Health Department
(307) 777-7735

Aluminum toxicity has the potential to produce serious illness in hemodialysis patients. While it is uncommon today, it can still occur. Health care providers should continue to take appropriate preventive measures to protect their patients. A cluster of elevated serum aluminum levels occurred among patients of a hemodialysis unit at a Wyoming hospital. Aluminum toxicity can cause osteomalacia, anemia, and dementia in hemodialysis patients. However, because of advances in medical care, such occurrences are uncommon today. A Wyoming Department of Health investigation found the source of exposure to be dialysate acid concentrate which became contaminated with aluminum as it passed through two electric pumps during transfer from 55-gallon storage drums to 1-gallon jugs for use on individual machines. After the pumps were removed from service, the patients’ serum aluminum levels returned to near-normal. Hemodialysis units should consider regular assessment of equipment compatibility with dialysate fluids, and asking dialysate acid concentrate manufacturers for recommendations of compatible devices to be used with their dialysate fluids.

Delayed Onset and Diminished Rotavirus Activity – United States, November 2007-May 2008 (Early Release)

PRESS CONTACT: CDC
Division of Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

The 2007–08 rotavirus season started later and displayed lower levels of activity than in any of the 15 previous season, with a substantial reduction in severe rotavirus disease observed in sentinel surveillance sites. These changes coincide with the 2006 introduction and subsequent use in infants of RotaTeq, a vaccine that protects against rotavirus. Continued monitoring is needed to confirm the impact of vaccination this year and to monitor the impact of RotaTeq vaccine on rotavirus disease and its epidemiology over time. Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in US children <5 years of age, annually causing about 20–60 deaths, 55,000–70,000 hospitalizations, 205,000–272,000 emergency department visits, and 410,000 physician office visits. In 2006, a new rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq® ; Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, New Jersey) was introduced for routine immunization of US infants. National surveillance data indicate that, during the ongoing 2007–08 season, rotavirus activity started 2–4 months later than usual and never approached peak activity levels seen during any of the previous 15 rotavirus seasons. A surveillance network of medical centers observed that cases of severe rotavirus disease in 2008 (hospitalizations, emergency department visits, physician visits) were substantially reduced (90-95%) compared with previous years.

Influenza Season Summary

PRESS CONTACT: CDC
Division of Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

Influenza activity peaked in the United States in mid-February, but influenza viruses may continue to circulate at low levels through the summer. The 2007-08 influenza season had a severity similar to the 2004–05 influenza season, as determined by the percentage of deaths resulting from pneumonia and influenza, pediatric hospitalization rates, and the percentage of visits to outpatient clinics for influenza-like illness. In the United States, influenza A viruses were more commonly reported than influenza B viruses for the season overall, with influenza A (H3N2) viruses more common than influenza A (H1N1) viruses, however influenza B viruses were more commonly indentified late in the season when overall activity was declining.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES