Issue No. 1

Risk of Bacterial Diarrhea Increases with HIV Disease Progression

According to a study published in the December 1, 2005 edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases, the risk of bacterial diarrhea increases with HIV disease progression, and the incidence of bacterial diarrhea has fallen since effective anti-HIV treatment has become available.  In HIV infected people, Clostridium difficile was identified as the most common cause of bacterial diarrhea.  To read a summary of this article click here and scroll down to the fifth bullet under “News”. View the CDC's general information page on Clostridium difficile infections here. The CDC's December 2, 2005 MMWR also has an article on serious Clostridium difficile infections reported in 4 states.

Infectious diarrhea, or bacterial gastroenteritis, causes uncontrolled, loose, watery, and frequent bowel movements caused by diet, infection, medication, or irritation or inflammation of the intestine.  Severe or long-lasting diarrhea can lead to weight loss and malnutrition.  Bacteria and parasites that cause diarrheal symptoms in otherwise healthy people may cause more severe, prolonged, or recurrent diarrhea in people with HIV or AIDS.  For more information on bacterial gastroenteritis, click here.

Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Likely if Mother has Herpes During Pregnancy

According to a study conducted in New York City, there is evidence that HIV transmission from mother-to-child is more likely if the mother has genital herpes during pregnancy. After accounting for other risk factors for perinatal HIV transmission, the researchers found that herpes infection raised the risk of the baby becoming infected with HIV by nearly fivefold. Read the full story in MedlinePlus: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_28852.html

High Levels of Efavirenz Cause Mental Problems

Spanish researchers report that higher blood levels of the anti-HIV drug efavirenz increase the risk of mental problems for patients taking the drug. The patients studied had no previous history of mental illness. However, after taking the drug efavirenz, some patients experienced a range of mental issues including sleep problems, depression, changes in mood, decreased ability to concentrate, attention problems, and obsessive disorder. Read the complete MedlinePlus article: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_28636.html

ClinicalTrials.gov Info

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ISSN 1558-3228