5th International AIDS Conference Montreal, Quebec, Canada — Jun 4-9, 1989

Int Conf AIDS 1989 Jun 4-9; 5:161 (abstract no. A.502)
Clotet B, Carles J, Tural C, Sirera G, Dominguez M, Tor J, Foz M; Infectious Diseases Unit. Hospital de Badalona "Germans Trias i Pujol", Badalona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk factors for AIDS reported by 33 HIV seropositive paid blood/plasma donors.

MATERIAL: Patients who donated blood in private centers in a retributed manner and were found HIV seropositive. In all cases HIV antibodies were evaluated by ELISA and Western Blot methods.

RESULTS: In 11 out of 33 (33%) there was a history of parenteral drug abuse and in 8 out of 33 (24%) of homosexuality. In the rest, 14 patients (43%), six reported sporadic prostitute contacts and the other 8 patients (24%) denied any known risk factors for AIDS.

DISCUSSION: All these 8 patients have donated blood or derivates in private centers, including blood banks in Valencia, Spain, prior to the obligatory law of performing HIV antibodies test in any kind of blood/plasma donation in our country. The accidental recovery of HIV infected blood cells from other donor through the use of the same device system could explain the infection by HIV and the absence of other known risk factors. At least 3 patients have observed that they shared with others the same device for intravenous manipulation. When there is no explanation for the presence of HIV antibodies, people caring for patients at risk for AIDS should be aware of this possibility when questioning risk factors. Our findings agree with those reported recently by Navarro et al (Lancet. 1988 Jul 2;2(8601):42).

890604
A502

Copyright © 1989 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.