Leads from the MMWR. Quarterly report to the Domestic Policy Council on the prevalence and rate of spread of HIV and AIDS--United States.

This report includes trends in reported cases of AIDS; trends in prevalence and incidence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) infection; status of HIV-1 antibody surveys; data on HIV-2; and a comparison of AIDS mortality and years of potential life lost (YPLL) with other major diseases. By March 14, 1988, a total of 56,212 cases of AIDS had been reported in the US; nearly 10,000 of these cases have been reported since the last report, on November 30, 1987. More than 31,400 cases have resulted in death. The 416 cases of AIDS reported during the past 12 months among children under 13 years of age represent an 85% increase over the total for the previous year; 75% of these children acquired their infection perinatally, probably before birth, from their infected mothers. Accurate estimates of the prevalence and rate of spread of HIV-1 infection in the entire US population are not possible at this time. More precise estimates are available only for certain subgroups of the general population such as blood donors and applicants for military service. Among active-duty US Army personnel who have been tested more than once, 7.7/10,000/year have become infected since their 1st test. The 1st reported case of AIDS caused by HIV-2 in the US was diagnosed in December 1987. The patient was a recent visitor from West Africa, where HIV-2 was originally described, and denied sexual intercourse, use of nonsterile needles, or donation of blood while in the US.