AIDS in Brazil, 1982-1988

AIDS was first identified in Brazil in 1982, and by mid-1988 a total of 3,952 cases had been detected. The highest concentrations of cases have occurred in the Southeast region of the country (81.8%), which includes the States of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and in the 25-to-40 year-old age group (58.2%). Sexual transmission is responsible for 72.8% of the cases; 18.8% of the cases were transmitted by contact with contaminated blood or blood products; perinatal transmission is responsible for 1.0% of the total recorded cases. On the basis of serologic surveys of certain population groups and projections of the prevalence of infection based on the number of actual cases at the end of 1987, the number of asymptomatic infected individuals would be between 200,000 and 400,000.