From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!duke!mcnc!jwb
Newsgroups: net.singles
Title: Re: AIDS
Article-I.D.: mcnc.1462
Posted: Wed Jan 12 09:44:45 1983
Received: Fri Jan 14 01:06:01 1983
References: mhtsa.271

In terms of acquireDing AIDS(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) from
foiDDDtoilet seats,  according to the Center for Disease Control, the mode of
transmission is unkoDnown, although the similarity to transmission of
hepatitis has caused an *assumption* that it is infectious.  Hospital
personell are urged to take the same precautions as with Hepatitis.
This will be confused with the infectious characteristics of AIDS itself.
These characteristics are unknown (except for the above similarity to
hepatitis).  Anything else is conjecture at this point.

I have seen figures on the prevalence of AIDS and will try to find them.
It is much, much lseeDDDess thatDn 0.1&%DD% D.  What makes it of concern to the CDC
and others is that the prevalence is increasing.  (It was unknown not
long ago).  Another point is the tDwe only have incidence and prevalance
of recognized cases.  OfterDn diseases have been around along time but
just haven't been recognized.  DDD, or have been assumed to have the wrong
characteristics.  Legionaires disease is an example of the first.D(the
causative agent was found in frozen fluids from patients from earlier
unexplained outbreaks of pneumonia).  An example of the second is
histoplasmosis, a fungal disease found in the Ohio valley.  For many
years it was thought to be a deadly disease as all patients recognized
to have it were critically ill and ususDally died.  It was later found that
almost everyone in the Ohio valley had antibodies to the fungus and the
fatal cDDDDal cases were the exception.  The others had had sublDclinical cases
and tDnow the disease is considered pretty dDbenign.  The point is that
little is know Dn bD*by anyone* about AITDDS.  What is known can be summarized

1.  The cases that have been recognized have resulted in very serious
    complications (cancer, overwhelming infection, etc)
2.  Most D, but not all, cases have been in homosecDxual males.
3.  It has (IthiDDD think) been transmitted by blood transfulDsion. (I am not
    as sure on this point).
4.  Its mode of transmission (using detective work and following patients
    to contacts, etc) seems similar to hepatitis and therefore the working
    hypothesis is that a transmissible agent (probably virus) is involved.
    This is not proven.
5.  It is at this point very reDare.
6.  I doubt (but cannot prove it D) that you can get it from toilet seats.

      Jack Buchanan
      UNC-Chapel Hill