HIV Spreading in Europe, but AIDS Cases Declining: Study

HIV infections continue to rise in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), though treatment has cut AIDS cases dramatically, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control announced Wednesday in a joint report with the World Health Organization.

Last year, the 27,116 new HIV diagnoses in the EU/EEA amounted to about a 4 percent increase over 2009, though the report noted it lacked data from Austria and Liechtenstein. "In contrast, the steady decrease of AIDS cases continued in 2010 with 4,666 reported cases in the EU/EEA region." That represented a drop in AIDS cases of almost 50 percent from 2004.

While epidemics are "remarkably distinct in individual countries," HIV continues to disproportionately affect certain key populations, especially men who have sex with men, persons originating from countries with generalized epidemics, and injection drug users, according to the report.

To access the report, visit: http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/111129_SUR_Annual_HIV_Report.pdf.

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