[HIV infection in northwestern Sardinia]

The prevalence of anti HIV antibodies was investigated in the sera of 150 drug addicts and of 62 patients not drug addicts hospitalized in the Institute of Infectious diseases of the University of Sassari in the years 1980-86. No seropositivity was detected in not drug addicts patients in the years of observation and in the drug addict ones in the years 1980-81-82. The seropositivity discovered in 1983 in 24% of drug addicts raised to 75% in the first 8 months of 1986. As regards the prevalence of anti HIV antibodies in 1986 the sera of different categories were investigated. Seropositivity was detected in 55% of 20 drug addicts prisoners, in 6.25% of 16 homosexual men, 13 of which prisoners and 3 drug addicts, in 3.7% of 27 transfused individuals, 26 of which under dyalitical treatment, and in 33.3% of sexual partners of HIV positive patients. Anti HIV antibodies were not detected in the sera of 20 laboratory workers, 22 prisoners with a negative history for homosexuality and drug addiction, 45 prison guards and 100 individuals taken at random from general population. The stages of infection in 27 drug addicts were classified according to Atlanta CDC criteria as follows: 63% of cases asymptomatic, 22.2% persistent generalized lymphoadenopathy, 7.4% minor clinical features, 3.7% serious clinical picture, 3.7% full clinical picture of AIDS.