[Current features of HIV-infection in St. Petersburg].

Dynamics of HIV-infection epidemic in St. Petersburg was analyzed. New features of epidemic process, which were not observed in St. Petersburg earlier, whereas noted in other territories of Russia, were revealed and described.

[An HIV prevalence study by means of sentinel epidemiological surveillance among injection narcotic abusers in Saint Petersburg]. / Izuchenie rasprostranennosti VICh metodom dozornogo épidnadzora sredi potrebitelei in''ektsionnykh narkotikov v Sankt-Peterburge.

The data on the study of the spread of HIV infection among injecting drug users in St. Petersburg, carried out by the method of the random testing of blood remaining in used syringes, are presented. Injecting drug users visiting buses working in accordance with the program "Buses for Assistance to Drug Addicts" were chosen as a study group. The exchange of syringes was one of the elements of this program. The work was carried out in two areas with a high concentration of drug users. The eluates from syringes used by 300 persons were studied. The average rate of the spread of HIV in the cohort under study was 12%. The results were indicative of a high degree of the spread of HIV among injecting drug users in St. Petersburg. Epidemiological patrol surveillance proved to be an effective method for the evaluation of the epidemiological situation in a highly inaccessible group of the population.

[Neuropathy of the fibular nerve in Sjögren's disease]. / Nevropatiia malobertsovogo nerva pri bolezni Shegrena.

The clinical case of Sjogren's disease in late stage with subacute course in 53 year old woman was described. The peculiarity of the case presented was its complication with left fibular nerve neuropathy. The supposed cause of neuropathy was microcirculatory disturbances, cryoglobulinemic purpura.

Epidemiology of HIV infection in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Overall HIV-1 prevalence in St. Petersburg (Leningrad) is extremely low (0.002%). HIV-2 infection has not been detected. The possible mode of virus entry was through sexual contacts with infected foreigners, the earliest documented date being prior to 1982. Among 25 seropositive males, 18 are homosexual and five are bisexual, suggesting that the virus is circulating within resident population of homo/bisexual males. The total incidence of new infections has not shown the type of dramatic increase noted in US gay/bisexual men in early 1980s. Information on lifestyle characterization of this indigenous population require further study to determine the future potential for spread. Among the non-Soviet population the rate is 0.01%. Highest rates occur among persons from HIV endemic areas of Africa, with rates as high as 5% and 3% among persons from Uganda and Rwanda, respectively. Rates among new entrants from Africa are lower, possibly reflecting the impact of prescreening of applicants prior to arrival in Russia. Further monitoring of high-risk populations and studies to define behavior risk pattern are planned.

[A case of death from AIDS in the USSR]. / Sluchai smerti ot SPID v SSSR.

The authors describe the first case of death from AIDS in the USSR of our countrywoman. The clinical manifestations of AIDS in the young woman were determined by opportunistic infections: disseminated candidiasis of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory organs as well as Pneumocystis pneumonia which ran an extremely grave course with a progressive increase of acute respiratory and cardiopulmonary failure and sepsis.